LIZ ANASTASIADIS & AARON SKUBBY, Editor-in-Chief & News Editor — George Peele Jr. ‘21, a member of Denison’s Lacrosse team who was arrested on October 5, has been indicted on six charges by a grand jury and has entered a plea of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.
Peele, was indicted on one count of aggravated burglary (1st degree felony), one count of attempted rape (2nd degree felony) and four counts of gross sexual imposition (4th degree felony).
The court appointed Columbus-based attorney Darrin Leist, a Denison alum, to serve as Peele’s counsel.
Leist entered a motion to submit a plea of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, citing that during his first meeting with Peele “it was evident that Mr. Peele, Jr. was in need of mental health assistance.”
Peele was transported to the Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Center located in Columbus, Ohio for treatment on October 21. He was “pink-slipped,” which refers to a voluntary admission with the stipulation that the individual may not leave the facility.
Peele is currently undergoing evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial and his mental condition at the time of the offense. Leist expressed concern that Peele may be “unable to understand the nature of his prosecution or to assist in his defense.”
EDITORS’ NOTE: We understand that this is a difficult topic for many people, and we encourage anyone who is struggling to see Title IX Coordinator Stephanie Jackson’s statement to see how you can receive support.
Dylan Robinson
This kid belongs in PRISON, not being catered to for his mental health. Absolute joke.
D.J. McGrath
I believe it’s important to note that George Peele, Jr. was a brand new transfer into Denison this semester. He was not well known to anyone on campus. He had transferred in from a prestigious NESCAC school and was a candidate to play lacrosse at Denison. He faced tough competition at his position and he may or may not have made the 2021 team so the article should not state that he was a member of the team. The crimes that Mr. Peele has been charged with are abhorrent and if true, violated the rights of his victim and the trust that everyone at Denison placed in him.