Baylor Star Travon Blanchard Suspended After Judge Issues Protective Order Against Him

Baylor announced this afternoon that they had suspended football star Travon Blanchard after a McLennan County judge issued a protective order against him. Earlier this month, a woman that had been in a relationship with Blanchard filed for a legal order to keep Blanchard away from her, claiming that he had engaged in a pattern of violent behavior towards her, per KWTX. Blanchard is a senior safety with the Bears.

The alleged victim reportedly filed an affidavit in support of the order request on Feb. 4, and she claims that the violence started on July 4 of last year, when Blanchard got mad that she was “having fun with some friends” and tried to drag her into her apartment:

It says he “rushed the applicant, grabbed her by her wrists, began swearing and insulting her, and attempted to force himself and the applicant into her apartment.”

Friends tried to intervene but Blanchard became “increasingly violent”, and police were called, the affidavit says.

He continued to force her inside of her apartment in front of police, and let go only when “the police threatened him with an arrest for insubordination,” the affidavit says.

She claims that in November, a tweet of hers enraged Blanchard and he grabbed both of her arms and “slammed her against the car, and threw her on the floor (similar to a football tackle).” The alleged pattern continued into the new year, as Blanchard allegedly beat her up after she received a Snapchat message from a male friend, then broke her finger after she talked to a male waiter at a restaurant. She said that Blanchard attempted to control her life and who she was allowed to talk to, and that he threatened to kill her when she tried to break up with him.

The judge’s order prevents Blanchard from speaking to the woman or going near her residence. A Baylor spokesperson told KWTX that they were notified of the allegations against Blanchard shortly after the affidavit was filed, and that the school had suspended him back on Feb. 7.

[ KWTX]