Youngstown State University is responding to an online petition involving one of the its football players.
The university says convicted rapist Ma'lik Richmond will not compete in games this fall.
Richmond was convicted of raping a 16-year-old unconscious girl when he was a high school football player in Steubenville.
He currently is a walk-on player who earned a spot on the 105-man roster on Aug. 2. He is not receiving an athletic scholarship and continues to be in good standing on the YSU campus, according to the university.
The school says Richmond will not be allowed to play any games during the 2017 season, but will still be able to practice with the team, forfeiting a year of eligibility.
"He will be given the opportunity to benefit from group participation, the lessons of hard work and discipline, as well as the camaraderie and guidance of the staff and teammates," the school wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday night. "He will also continue to work with the University's director of student outreach and support who assists young men and women in becoming successful students and YSU graduates."
The university says it is "fully aware of the gravity of the situation" and "takes the matter of sexual assault very seriously."
The school recognizes Petitions circulating social media in protest and support of Richmond and says it is fully committed to complying with Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in education programs and activities, including sexual assault.
