Nate Rau, and Matt Slovin

The Tennessean

University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones told one of his players he “betrayed the team” after the wide receiver helped a woman who said she was raped by two other football players, according to a new legal filing in a sweeping lawsuit filed by six women against Tennessee.

Sophomore Drae Bowles “broke down and cried” after speaking with his coach, the lawsuit said.

Jones later called Bowles back to apologize for calling him “a traitor to the team,” according to the suit.

The two calls with Jones came after Bowles was punched in the mouth and bloodied by teammate Curt Maggitt as retribution inside the UT locker room, according to the new filing.

Bowles, who transferred to UT Chattanooga shortly after the alleged November 2014 incidents, provided the account of events in a sworn declaration filed in federal court in Nashville. In the statement, Bowles acknowledged he might be called as a witness and is willing to testify in the case.

In a statement late Wednesday, Jones denied the allegations and called them "false attacks on my character."

Tennessee coach Butch Jones calls allegations 'false attacks on my character'

"The assertion that I ever attempted to belittle or demean a young man for taking action to help another person is absolutely false," Jones said in the statement issued through the university.

"To the contrary, I did all I could to assist the former student in question. During the course of the judicial process, campus officials, as well as the young man's own words, will clearly establish that I have done nothing wrong," Jones said. "I will fight all of these false attacks on my character, and I know that once this process has been completed, my reputation will be affirmed."

The new legal filing is the latest in the ongoing federal lawsuit that has brought renewed scrutiny to UT’s athletics department. Also on Wednesday, two new women claiming they were also sexually assaulted by football players joined the lawsuit.

Two more women join University of Tennessee sexual assault lawsuit

In a prepared statement by attorney Bill Ramsey, the university defended its response to sexual assault allegations on campus.

"The facts, as opposed to allegations in a complaint, will demonstrate that the University acted properly in the matters at issue," Ramsey said. "We have continuously worked hard to improve our processes and our procedures to ensure that we are doing all that we can to prevent incidents of assault, to support victims of assault and to pursue justice while ensuring due process for those accused. We will vigorously defend all claims in the amended complaint."

At a news conference in Knoxville on Tuesday, Jones was flanked by head coaches for each UT sports team when he defended the culture within the athletics department. On Saturday, Jones shook his head when asked whether Bowles had been assaulted.

According to the lawsuit, Jones and Maggitt were upset at Bowles because he helped a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by UT football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams.

Bowles found the woman, a friend of his identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe IV, crying and hyperventilating in a parking lot in the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2014, according to the lawsuit. They called 911 and arranged to meet an ambulance at Volunteer Hall.

Later that day, Maggitt confronted Bowles and “asked accusing questions,” the filing said.

“Bowles told Maggitt what had happened. Maggitt became violently upset, said that Bowles was trying to f*** up A.J. and suddenly punched Bowles in the mouth with great force, causing Bowles’ lip to bleed,” the filing said.

Bowles fought back before teammates broke up the fight, the filing said.

The next day, Bowles was confronted a second time. Bowles went to Smokey’s Sports Grill, the campus dining hall for athletes, and purposefully sat alone. Teammates Geraldo Orta and Marlin Lane confronted him, according to the new documents.

University of Tennessee: Lawsuit won't 'detract' from efforts to reduce sexual assault

Before another fight broke out, football strength coach Brandon Myles physically intervened and held back Orta and Lane, according to the lawsuit. Lane and Orta followed Bowles as he left the dining hall, but Myles again intervened, the suit said.

Orta later told police that where he came from, “people got shot” for such betrayals, according to the lawsuit. Williams also told police Orta put a “hit” out on Bowles for his role in helping the alleged victim, according to the lawsuit, which cited a Knoxville Police Department incident report.

Johnson and Williams were charged with aggravated rape in the case. They’ve pleaded not guilty and their trials are set for later this year.

Knoxville police have declined to release records on Johnson and Williams. The Knoxville News Sentinel has filed suit to make those records public.

Bowles was a four-star recruit out of Jackson (Tenn.) Christian School but never caught a pass for the Vols. He appeared in 13 games over two seasons before arriving at Chattanooga, where he caught two passes in four games in 2015.

Bowles and his father, Dexter, a captain in the Madison County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Office, were on the witness list for the February 2015 grand jury proceedings in the case against Johnson and Williams.

In a Facebook message with The Tennessean on Feb. 10, Orta denied putting a “hit” out on Bowles.

Lawsuit: Tennessee player assaulted by teammates for helping rape victim

According to the lawsuit, Maggitt admitted to police that he assaulted Bowles. He was never charged with a crime. Orta told police that Jones “instructed the team to stay away from Bowles,” who was given time away from the program, the lawsuit says.

Jones did not discipline Orta, Lane or Maggitt, according to the lawsuit.

Two plaintiffs, Jane Doe IV, who claims she was assaulted, and her roommate Jane Doe V, who witnessed the fight in the dining hall, say the treatment and shunning of Bowles played a major role in their decision to leave UT out of fear for their own safety, according to the lawsuit.

“Drae Bowles had acted with the utmost kindness and strength of character toward Jane Doe IV, her friends and Jane Doe V,” the plaintiffs claim in their updated lawsuit. “For his kindness and courage he was beaten up, called a traitor by his head football coach and ostracized from the team by Coach Jones and other players.

“Maggitt continued to be touted as a team leader and with Orta and Lane celebrated a bowl victory by posing for cameras flashing (alleged) rapist A.J. Johnson’s number 45 with their hands and fingers,” the lawsuit says.

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and on Twitter @tnnaterau and Matt Slovin at mslovin@tennessean.com and on Twitter @MattSlovin. Tennessean reporter Anita Wadhwani contributed to this story.