Former Baylor President Ken Starr - who left the school amid a massive sexual assault scandal - is reportedly on President Donald Trump's shortlist of potential leaders for his administration's Office of Religious Freedom.

Starr, the former independent counsel who investigated Bill Clinton's sexual activities during his presidency, has been put on the shortlist for ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, a source close to the process said.

The State Department job promotes religious freedom worldwide and monitors religious persecution.

Former Baylor President Ken Starr, the former independent counsel who investigated Bill Clinton's sexual activities during his presidency, has been put on the shortlist for ambassador-at-large for the Office of Religious Freedom, a source close to the process said

Other candidates reportedly on Trump's shortlist are Ben Carson's former faith adviser Johnnie Moor Jr, and Hudson Institute human rights lawyer Nina Shea

'It's my understanding that it's his job if he wants it,' the source told Foreign Policy magazine on Thursday.

Starr, 70, called religious liberty one of his 'abiding passions' while resigning from Baylor, the largest Baptist university in the world.

Other candidates reportedly on the shortlist are Ben Carson's former faith adviser Johnnie Moor Jr, and Hudson Institute human rights lawyer Nina Shea.

Prior to his role at Baylor, Starr worked as a judge, appellate lawyer and solicitor general. He's a fifth-generation Texan and a conservative Christian.

He served as an independent counsel who led the investigation into former President Bill Clinton, which ultimately resulted in his impeachment.

Starr served as president of Baylor from 2010 until last year, when he was demoted by regents after an independent report found that administrators mishandled sexual abuse cases involving football players at the Waco, Texas, school. He later left the school entirely.

Starr has said he was unaware of what was happening at the school but still accepted responsibility.

The Big 12 athletics conference decided on Wednesday to withhold a portion of the revenue due to Texas' Baylor University as it checks reforms implemented the school in response to sexual assaults by it athletes.

The university has been rocked by scandals for more than a year over whether it failed to do enough to prevent and investigate sexual assaults against women by football players and others.

Starr served as president of Baylor from 2010 to 2016, when he was demoted by regents after an independent report found that administrators mishandled sexual abuse cases involving football players at the Waco, Texas, school. He later left the school entirely

The scandals, which coincide with growing outrage over sexual assault on US college campuses, led to the ouster of Starr and Baylor's football coach, Art Briles.

The college athletics conference's board of directors voted unanimously to withhold 25 percent of future revenue distribution payments to Baylor pending the outcome of a third-party review of its reforms, the conference said.

'By taking these actions the Board desires to ensure that the changes that were promised are actually made and that systems are in place to avoid future problems,' David Boren, University of Oklahoma president and Big 12 Conference Board of Directors chairman, said in a statement.

The decision to withhold funds came after Baylor's new strength and conditioning coach was arrested on February 4 on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute. Baylor said in a statement it has fired the coach for conduct contradictory to the university's values.

Alumni groups for the Waco, Texas university have criticized Baylor for what they say is a lack of transparency about the sexual scandals that have come as its men's football and basketball teams have become conference powerhouses.

A former Baylor University student who says she was raped by two football players filed a federal lawsuit last month against the school that alleges there were dozens more assaults of women involving other players.

The lawsuit by the student, who is listed in the documents only as 'Elizabeth Doe,' alleges at least 52 rapes by more than 30 football players over a four-year period.

The US Department of Education last year launched an investigation into Baylor University's response to sexual violence on campus.