DENVER -- Colorado State University-Pueblo, which suspended a student athlete, recently agreed to pay him to settle his lawsuit that alleges the university falsely accused him of raping his girlfriend.

Grant Neal made the allegation in a 2016 lawsuit. He was seeking an unspecified amount of money from the university as compensation for, among other things, damage to his reputation and "loss of future income prospects."

The agreement to settle the lawsuit is referred to in a court document examined Monday by The Pueblo Chieftain.

"On June 13, 2017, the State Claims Board voted, as required by state law, to approve the monetary terms of the settlement agreement," states the document filed by CSU-Pueblo. The document is at U.S. District Court in Denver where Neal filed his lawsuit.

"The agreement included monetary and a number of non-economic terms," the document dated July 14 states.

It does not state the amount of money to be paid to Neal and does not specify the other terms.

The university suspended Neal indefinitely in late 2015 when it concluded he "engaged in non-consensual sexual intercourse." Jennifer Luna, director of diversity and inclusion, reached the conclusion after an investigation that CSU-Pueblo initiated.

The investigation began based on a report about Neal from another student.

Neal's girlfriend did not accuse Neal of engaging in non-consensual intercourse and Neal contends it was consensual. He was not charged in court with rape or any crime.

His lawsuit alleges that gender bias against male athletes and the university's self-interest in its reputation are reasons for its actions against him.

The university last year asked a judge to throw out the lawsuit. In its request, CSU-Pueblo stated whether the intercourse was consensual is "wholly irrelevant to (Neal's) legal claims before this court and should be disregarded."

The university's request also stated that laws applicable to each of his claims do not support his basis for them.

In February, a magistrate judge recommended against throwing out the lawsuit. He cited several examples of how evidence submitted to him "suggest(s) bias" against Neal by two university officials. The magistrate also concluded that procedures and processes a third official used to investigate Neal "suggests bias and inaccuracy in the outcome."

As recently as May, CSU-Pueblo filed an objection to the magistrate judge's conclusions.

By June 9, a settlement agreement was reached "to resolve this matter," states the new document that The Chieftain reviewed.

The university's attorney went on to say that on July 7 Neal proposed "a revised agreement Although the parties previously reached an agreement on the non-monetary terms, counsel for the parties continue to work through the language of the written agreement formalizing (those) terms ."

The document says both sides need until Friday "to finalize the written agreement."

Neal was an integral part of the 2014 NCAA Division II championship football team as a freshman fullback. He played 10 games in 2015 before being suspended.

The university challenged his allegations that CSU-Pueblo officials subjected him to an unfair investigation and review, and that they railroaded him despite lack of evidence.

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