{"id":2268573,"date":"2024-06-15T15:35:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-15T19:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-basketball-star-found-not-guilty-of-heinous-allegations-has-metoo-gone-too-far\/"},"modified":"2024-06-15T15:37:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-15T19:37:18","slug":"college-basketball-star-found-not-guilty-of-heinous-allegations-has-metoo-gone-too-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-basketball-star-found-not-guilty-of-heinous-allegations-has-metoo-gone-too-far\/","title":{"rendered":"College Basketball Star Acquitted in Controversial Case: Is #MeToo Overreaching?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcollege-basketball-star-found-not-guilty-of-heinous-allegations-has-metoo-gone-too-far%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2268573&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Terrence Shannon \u2063Jr., a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/super-bowl-lv-all-the-best-commercials\/\" title=\"Super Bowl LV: All The Best Commercials\">basketball star<\/a> at\u200b the \u2062University of Illinois, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/400-years-later-i-made-new-discoveries-about-the-first-thanksgiving\/\" title=\"400 Years Later, I Made New Discoveries About The First Thanksgiving\">recently found<\/a> not guilty of felony rape and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-more-men-linked-to-netflix-doc-charged-with-sexual-misconduct-with-minors\/\" title=\"Two More Men Linked To Netflix Doc Charged With Sexual Misconduct With Minors\">aggravated sexual assault<\/a> charges stemming from an alleged incident in September 2023. Despite his acquittal, the allegations severely \u2064impacted Shannon&#8217;s life and career, leading to his suspension from the team\u2064 and harassment during games. The case has prompted discussions \u200babout the\u2062 #MeToo movement, with some questioning whether it has been misused to levy false allegations. A revealing \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/woman-who-accused-andrew-cuomo-of-sexual-harassment-finally-details-allegations\/\" title=\"Woman Who Accused Andrew Cuomo Of Sexual Harassment Finally Details Allegations\">text message exchange<\/a> between\u2062 the alleged victim and \u200cher friends suggested \u2064ulterior motives, raising further doubts \u2063about the legitimacy of the \u2063accusations against Shannon. This situation has sparked a broader debate about the\u200b potential for the #MeToo movement to be exploited, overshadowing its original intent. The\u200b commentary also touches\u200c on \u2062the \u2063impact of activism on justice and calls for\u2062 public apology to Shannon.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <\/p>\n<h2>College Basketball Star Found Not Guilty of Heinous Allegations: Has #MeToo Gone Too Far?<\/h2>\n<p> <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/%20\"><span>Bryan Chai<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 15, 2024 at 10:04am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Two quick things to preface all of this with:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Alleged victims of crime absolutely have a right to their day in court.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNot guilty\u201d does not mean \u201cinnocent.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That all being said \u2026 It\u2019s hard to look at the story of former University of Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr. and not ask yourself: Has the #MeToo movement gone too far?<\/p>\n<p>Shannon\u2019s career and life were turned upside down, thanks to nothing more than allegations \u2014 and those were allegations he was found not guilty of on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Shannon was facing charges of felony rape and aggravated sexual assault, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/story\/_\/id\/40344821\/ex-illinois-star-terrence-shannon-jr-found-not-guilty-rape\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a>, after a September 2023 incident where he allegedly assaulted a woman at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas.<\/p>\n<p>The 6-foot-6 guard was arrested in December, and has vehemently denied the allegations since.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you think #MeToo has been hijacked by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twitter-appears-to-shadow-ban-daily-wire-star-gina-carano\/\" title=\"Twitter Appears To \u2018Shadow Ban\u2019 Daily Wire Star Gina Carano\">bad-faith actors<\/a>?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Despite Shannon\u2019s claims of innocence, the mere allegation was enough to truly derail his life.<\/p>\n<p>Not only was the talented prospect (many had him pegged as a top-25 NBA Draft pick before any of this drama unfolded) suspended by his own team, but when he eventually did return to the court, he was harassed endlessly on the road.<\/p>\n<p>Shannon \u2014 despite not even being convicted of anything at the time \u2014 was jeered by opposing fans, and subjected to mean-spirited \u201cNo means no\u201d chants.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Penn State student section is chanting \u201cNo Means No\u201d everytime Terrence Shannon Jr is involved in a play <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAre?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WeAre<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/O1Q50NhRCV\">pic.twitter.com\/O1Q50NhRCV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BasicBlues\/status\/1760453578798375147?\">February 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Thursday, a courtroom ultimately found Shannon not guilty.<\/p>\n<p>You can see the emotional response from Shannon and his team below, courtesy of WCIA-TV\u2019s Bret Beherns:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Emotions in Kansas court as the verdict is read NOT GUILTY for former <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Illini?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Illini<\/a> Terrence Shannon Jr.<\/p>\n<p>The immediate reaction from his legal team, family and friends in Lawrence <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bL1bhAGYQ0\">pic.twitter.com\/bL1bhAGYQ0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bret Beherns (@WCIA3Bret) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WCIA3Bret\/status\/1801356018011582735?\">June 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re happy with the outcome,\u201d Mark Sutter, one of Shannon\u2019s attorneys, said, according to ESPN. \u201cTerrence Shannon Jr. finally got his day in court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe denied the allegations back in September and on that date, we pledged that one day soon, we would have our day in court and we did. And we\u2019re happy with the outcome.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd, at the end of the day, I think the public at large owes Shannon Jr. an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One particularly damning piece of evidence against the alleged victim \u2014 and perhaps why Shannon is owed \u201can apology\u201d \u2014 came in the form of a text message exchange, according to the University of Illinois independent student paper, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyillini.com\/sports-stories\/mens-sports\/men-basketball\/2024\/06\/13\/not-guilty-illinois-star-terrence-shannon-jr-acquitted-by-jury-in-rape-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Daily Illini<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Those messages, which shared the ESPN article regarding Shannon, read:<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Friend: (ESPN article link shared) OMG <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Best friend: You got him <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Alleged Victim: YUPPP YESSSIRR<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Friend: Got his a** (two money-face emojis)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Life is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bidenomics-killing-american-dream-owning-home-nationwide-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">difficult enough<\/a> to navigate in 2024. Men don\u2019t need the added looming threat of false \u2014 but materially damaging \u2014 allegations on top of that.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, the once-virtuous #MeToo movement has increasingly become a vehicle for these damaging allegations to be delivered.<\/p>\n<p>As with most activist causes in life, #MeToo had a somewhat reasonable and\/or cause in the beginning, before seemingly being hijacked for far more nefarious purposes (Other examples of that phenomenon include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/black-florida-business-owner-demolishes-naacp-travel-advisory-buries-race-baiting-narrative-just-three-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NAACP<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/blm-school-releases-pro-palestinian-toolkit-teach-us-kids-israels-dismal-world-image\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BLM<\/a>, though the latter has always been a bit dubious).<\/p>\n<p>The core tenet of #MeToo stems from the allegations that Hollywood mogul <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/harvey-weinstein-rushed-hospital-heath-issues-triggered\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvey Weinstein<\/a> was a lecherous creep who used his position of influence to prey on vulnerable women \u2014 of which there are quite a few in the depraved entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<p>Those allegations first surfaced en masse in 2017, and it only took a few years to completely torpedo Weinstein\u2019s reputation as he was convicted in 2020 of just the first set of allegations.<\/p>\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/appeals-court-overturns-harvey-weinsteins-2020-rape-conviction-due-court-error\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conviction overturn<\/a>, however, has added a new wrinkle to Weinstein\u2019s saga.<\/p>\n<p>Activism, which is what #MeToo has basically become nowadays, and justice do not always mix. That\u2019s an inherent flaw that proponents of #MeToo are always eager to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>For Shannon, #HeToo probably can\u2019t wait to leave this entire ordeal behind him as he prepares for a potential career in the NBA.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>\u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d Those 12 words have been stuck in my head since I first read them. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn recently made that comment to Floyd Brown, founder of The Western Journal. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>And if the leftists and the elites get their way, that\u2019s exactly what will happen \u2014 no real election, no real choice for the Electoral College, and no real say for the American people. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal is fighting to keep that from happening, but we can\u2019t do it alone.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We work tirelessly to expose the lying leftist media and the corrupt America-hating elites.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech\u2019s stranglehold is now so tight that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without help<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  from you, we will not be able to continue the fight. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The 2024 election is literally the most important election for every living American. We have to unite and fight for our country, otherwise we will lose it. And if we lose the America we love in 2024, we\u2019ll lose it for good. Can we <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>count on you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to help? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>With you we will be able to field journalists, do more investigative work, expose more corruption, and get desperately needed truth to millions of Americans. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We can do this only with your help. Please don\u2019t wait one minute.<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>  Donate right now<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Thank you for reading,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44778\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44778\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44778\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44778\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44778\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate. <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Hawaii <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN. <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  Phoenix, Arizona <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Korean <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  Sports, Entertainment, Science\/Tech <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>College basketball star acquitted of serious charges raises questions about the #MeToo movement&#8217;s impact. While victims deserve justice, a &#8220;not guilty&#8221; verdict doesn&#8217;t imply innocence. Has the movement overreached?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2015,"featured_media":2268574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shannon.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2268573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shannon.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2268573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2015"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2268573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2268573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2268574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2268573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2268573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2268573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}