Terrence Shannon Jr. to rejoin Illinois following court ruling
Terrence Shannon Jr. will be rejoining Illinois after a court injunction was confirmed on Friday.
The University confirmed in a statement that Shannon is being fully reinstated as a student-athlete. As such, Shannon is cleared for practice and competition:
“Effective immediately, Terrence Shannon Jr. has been reinstated to full status as a University student-athlete and will be available for basketball practice and competition. We will continue to review the Court Order and monitor the case.”
Shannon reacted to the news and said he is “grateful” for the opportunity.
I am grateful for the opportunity to re-join my teammates and get back to work.
— Terrence Shannon Jr (@Sn1per_T) January 19, 2024
It’s unclear when Shannon may see the court again, but Illinois will face Rutgers at home on Sunday. The next game for the Illini will be Wednesday at Northwestern.
Shannon was originally suspended on Dec. 28 following charges of rape being filed against the Illini star in Douglas (Kansas) County. In Friday’s injunction, US District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled Shannon has “ascertainable rights” in need of protection. Lawless also ruled potential harm for Shannon outweighs any potential harm to Illinois.
“The Plaintiff has established that he has clearly ascertainable rights that need protection and there is some likelihood of success on the merits,” wrote Lawless. “The Court further finds that Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law and will suffer irreparable harm without an injunction. The potential harm to Plaintiff outweighs any harm to the University. The public interest is not harmed by granting injunctive relief to allow for additional procedural safeguards while he is presumed innocent of the criminal charges. Because Plaintiff financially supports several family members, the Court will not require Plaintiff to post bond.”