MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—West Virginia outside linebacker d’Vante Henry already was facing team disciplinary issues even before Wednesday night’s arrest for sexual assault led to his dismissal.
Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen announced Thursday that Henry—after being charged with second-degree sexual assault—is no longer a member of the team, ending a two-month run with the squad.
“D’Vante Henry had been indefinitely suspended from game participation,” Holgorsen said. “There was strict parameters put in place that he had to abide by in order to play next season. The allegations made against him are troubling and very serious. He is no longer a Mountaineer.”
The criminal complaint filed by a Monongalia County sheriff’s deputy said the alleged assault happened last Sunday. A deputy took the complaint from a woman who was a patient at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
“The female stated that a male subject identified as Dvante M. Henry had entered her room in the early morning hours and physically forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with him,” the criminal complaint said.
The complaint went on to say the woman told Henry to stop but he refused. Henry was questioned by the deputy and said the sex was consensual.
A three-star junior college signee from Arizona Western College who played his high school ball in Moore, Okla., Henry arrived at WVU in July but did not practice during preseason camp, at which point coach Dana Holgorsen said the player was “dealing with personal issues.”
In late August Holgorsen announced Henry planned to redshirt this season.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Henry—who signed with West Virginia over offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oregon State, Iowa State and Utah—was projected to play the Spur linebacker and thought to be an integral piece of the Mountaineers’ 28-man 2013 signing class that ranked No. 25 nationally according to Rivals.
Henry became the second member of the defense to be kicked off the team within the past seven weeks. Sophomore defensive lineman Korey Harris was dismissed in July after being charged with first-degree armed robbery following a break-in on Sturgis Street.