Petition seeks to prevent student convicted of 2012 rape from playing for Youngstown State this fall

A petition seeking to prevent Ma’lik Richmond, who was convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2012, from playing football at Youngstown State has received more than 6,500 signatures since being posted on change.org on Saturday morning.

Richmond was 16 when he and a fellow football player for Steubenville (Ohio) High were accused of having sex with a West Virginia girl who was passed out after an alcohol-fueled party. The players were convicted the following year, and Richmond spent nearly a year in a juvenile detention center.

After enrolling at Youngstown State last August, Richmond walked on to the Penguins in January and is expected to contribute at defensive tackle this season.

“I gave him some stipulations and some things he had to be able to do and if he lived up to them he’d be able to come out and see if he could be a member of our football team,” Youngstown State Coach Bo Pelini told WFMJ-TV Channel 21 in Youngstown. “He did those things and continues to do those things right now and he’s done a nice job for us.”

But Youngstown State student Katelyn Davis started the petition because she doesn’t think Richmond should have that opportunity with the football team.

“I’m not saying that Richmond should be expelled; he does deserve a second chance at his education,” she told WKYC-TV Channel 3 in Cleveland. “I do hope that he is successful in life, but he should not be representing YSU as a football player.”

The petition is seeking 7,500 signatures and will be delivered to Pelini and university President Jim Tressel.

“I did not expect this petition to take off in the way it did,” Davis said. “I’m glad this petition is able to give a voice to the community.”

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii