BLOOMINGTON – Former Indiana University running back Morgan Ellison said he is innocent of the sexual assault allegations levied against him.

An IU sexual misconduct hearing panel suspended Ellison for 2 1/2 years after determining he had sexually assaulted a fellow IU student while she slept and then used force to continue the assault when she woke up, according to records obtained by IndyStar. Ellison is no longer a student or a member of the university’s football program.

In a statement posted Saturday night on Twitter, Ellison said he was falsely accused. He said Indiana University officials "rushed through this process" and "made fundamental errors" in finding him responsible for the sexual assault.

He points to a "pivotal text message" sent by his accuser that he says demonstrates that she consented. His statement does not address other text messages the woman sent that describe her repeatedly asking him to stop and trying to push him off of her after she woke up.

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The statement does not specify what other errors Ellison believed had occurred. Efforts to reach his attorney Saturday night for clarification were unsuccessful.

IndyStar typically does not name alleged victims of sexual assault without their consent. The woman could not be reached Saturday night for comment on Ellison's statement.

Ellison argued IU should have acquitted him.

"I had hoped that IU would rectify these errors and inaccuracies through the Appeal process," Ellison said in his statement, "but was disheartened to learn that IU was doubling down on its mistakes choosing to follow a politically expedient path versus one of fact and justice."

IU spokesman Chuck Carney declined comment Saturday night. He previously told IndyStar that the university's student conduct process was followed in this case.

The panel's decision means Ellison is suspended from Indiana University until March 2021. He also is required to undergo counseling and is not to set foot on any IU campus during his suspension. And Ellison is prohibited from having contact with the student he is accused of assaulting.

As of earlier this month, police were not investigating the sexual assault allegation against Ellison.

The Indiana University Police Department, Bloomington Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff's Office had not received any reports related to the alleged crime as of Oct. 19, according to interviews and records obtained by IndyStar.

A spokesman for the Monroe County prosecutor’s office said prosecutors had not received any information or reports about the situation either.

"I wake up every morning hoping this is all a bad dream and that I will be suiting up to play with my brothers on the IU team once again," Ellison said Saturday in his statement.

Ellison had been suspended from competition by the IU football program since Aug. 24 for what were initially described as undisclosed reasons.

"What I most want to do now is get back to who I was before this Kafkaesque nightmare began: a man of character and integrity, attending college and working to be the best student athlete I can be," Ellison said in his statement.

"My name is Morgan Ellison and I am innocent."

He said he and his attorney will pursue "every avenue we can to show my innocence." Ellison did not specify which avenues he might pursue.

Call IndyStar reporter Marisa Kwiatkowski at 317-444-6135. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyMarisaK.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

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