School pulls scholarship offer for player charged with rape

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Vanderbilt rescinded a football scholarship offer Wednesday to a Georgia high school player charged with felony rape. <br> <br> School officials had been monitoring the case of Marcus Dixon, a six-foot-six, 265-pound defensive end, since he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in a trailer at Pepperell High School in Lindale, Georgia, on February tenth. <br> <br> The Tennessean newspaper reported Wednesday that Dixon&#39;s guardian testified during a bond hearing last week in Georgia that Vanderbilt had rescinded his admission pending his being cleared of the charges. <br> <br> Vanderbilt released a statement Wednesday afternoon, officially rescinding the scholarship offer. David Williams, vice chancellor for university affairs and student life, said it is not in the school&#39;s best interests to continue a relationship with Dixon. <br> <br> The university also denied a report that Vanderbilt had arranged for Dixon to attend a private military academy to help him graduate from high school. Williams said in the statement that such an arrangement was never offered. <br> <br> The 18-year-old Dixon has been suspended from Pepperell until a Floyd County school disciplinary tribunal can hear his case. If the tribunal rules against him, Dixon could be expelled.