SEATTLE — Text messages between University of Washington athletic department staff appear to indicate coaches were aware of issues related to a running back later charged with rape.
The emails and text messages were part of Seattle Police Department documentation released to KING 5 on Tuesday through a public records request.
Running back Tylin “Tybo” Rogers was charged with second-degree and third-degree rape earlier this month. He pleaded not guilty last week.
Rogers is accused of raping a Seattle Central Community College student in October 2023 and a University of Washington student between Halloween and Thanksgiving last year.
The first woman reported the incident to UW and their Title IX Office on Nov. 28, police said. Documentation from the university dated Dec. 19 indicates a recommendation to follow up with the involved student-athlete to see “if there is anything more we should be aware of.”
At the end of November, one of the victims posted on social media accusing Rogers publicly of rape. The post was also shared on Reddit.
Multiple emails sent Nov. 30 before the Pac-12 Championship game show Rogers was removed from the travel roster. However, the emails did not give a reason why Rogers would not travel with the team.
Just a week after the Title IX report was filed, on Dec. 6, UW Director of Football Player Development Cameron Elisara texted then-head coach Kalen DeBoer, forwarding a message he received about Rogers: “WTF did Tybo do? I got people blowing me up about it. I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to obviously but I was just on ESPN radio and somebody brought it up.”
DeBoer then called Elisara over FaceTime, and there is not a record of what they communicated.
Other text messages show a coach received contact information for criminal defense and civil rights attorney James Bible with a comment to “pass this information on to Tybo.”
"The timeline of (victim's initials) social media posts as well as Rogers' suspension led me to believe there is a connection between his suspension and her disclosure of the assault, especially after the comments made by the coaching staff in the media release," wrote one of the investigating officers in the probable cause determination.
Rogers did not play in the Pac-12 championship game, but he was allowed to return to the team Dec. 15. He played in the Sugar Bowl and national championship game in January.
UW football suspended Rogers indefinitely earlier this month.