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2 Expelled From UMBC Over Sex Assault Allegations

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The University of Maryland-Baltimore County has expelled two students following an investigation into allegations that a female student was raped by four men on campus.

University spokeswoman Dinah Winnick confirmed the expulsions Thursday. The university said two students were expelled for code of conduct violations. Local police, meanwhile, reported they were unable to confirm a crime had been committed.

The investigation was prompted by a complaint from a female student who told authorities she was raped by four male students in a dorm room but that she was so drunk she couldn't remember what happened.

The Associated Press usually does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

According to a police report filed in mid-December, the female student told investigators that on the night of her assault she'd gone to a party, gotten drunk and run into four male friends who said they would escort her to her building. The female student told investigators that she woke up in the male students' dorm, with no recollection of what had happened.

Documents show the male students told investigators that they did have sex with the female student, but that it was consensual.

Baltimore County Police Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost said investigators determined that there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against the accused students.

"Everyone cooperated with us in this case," Armacost said. "We investigated this case. We found that no crime had occurred."

Armacost added that the department sent its findings to the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, where prosecutors declined to bring charges. State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said "there was insufficient evidence to proceed with any criminal charges."

The university, however, determined after its disciplinary proceedings that two students were in violation of the student code of conduct, and those students were expelled.

In a statement issued Thursday, university officials confirmed the expulsions but declined to provide details on the case, or how exactly the students violated the code of conduct.

"Most often federal privacy law pertaining to student records and our ethic of care for our students' well-being and privacy prohibit us from sharing information about specific cases," the statement read. "However, in this case the law enables us to share that our disciplinary proceedings have resulted in the dismissal of two students."

(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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