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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A student at The Citadel sued an ex-instructor who he says agreed not to discipline him in exchange for sex.
Former Citadel Lt. Col. Kenneth Boes was charged last year with sexually assaulting the cadet, but prosecutors dropped those charges for reasons that aren't explained in online court records. Boes' lawyer on Friday described the cadet as a false victim and violent young man who wants to make a quick buck at the expense of a man with an impeccable reputation.
The cadet also sued The Citadel, saying South Carolina's military college was negligent because it knew Boes was helping the student avoid discipline and break the school's code of conduct.
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court, the cadet said Boes befriended him with cigars and alcohol even while knowing the student had trouble with underage drinking. He also said Boes touched him inappropriately over six months, watching him shower, and one time drugged him. He said he woke up naked beside the instructor.
The cadet said Boes told him he had to maintain their relationship or he wouldn't graduate.
Citadel spokesman Col. John Dorrian said the school doesn't comment on pending lawsuits. But he said the college's foremost goal is the safety of its cadets, which is why school officials asked law enforcement authorities to investigate as soon as they learned of the allegations.
Boes resigned shortly after his August 2018 arrest on charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and giving beer or wine to a minor. Although prosecutors dropped the sexual assault charge, Boes is still awaiting trial on the misdemeanor alcohol charge, according to the court records.
The lawsuit does not name the cadet, saying he is the victim of a sexual assault. In his statement, Boes' lawyer Andy Savage uses his name, saying he "can no longer remain anonymous nor hide behind ... bogus criminal allegations to obfuscate the truth."
"Since he has filed a civil case, we will finally have an opportunity to question him under oath," Savage said. "I look forward to it."
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