Former Providence College basketball player Duncan Powell has been cleared of allegations that he assaulted an ex-girlfriend.
Powell, 23, a Dallas native who played for the Friars for the 2025-26 season, was found not guilty of misdemeanor charges of domestic simple assault and disorderly conduct June 17 after a bench trial before District Court Judge Anthony Capraro.
“We are grateful that Mr. Powell was given the opportunity to clear his name through the trial process. While the allegations understandably drew significant attention, the final decision reflects the judge’s careful consideration of the evidence. Duncan is looking forward to returning his focus where it belongs, which is on the bright future that lies ahead,” Powell’s lawyer, Elizabeth Payette, said in an email. Payette represented Duncan with William J. Lynch.
Powell, 23, who was living in Providence, was arrested following a disturbance at 1440 Plainfield Pike in Cranston at 2:44 a.m. on March 28. Powell allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend and her friends, and Cranston police were called, according to a WJAR report.
WJAR reported Powell's ex-girlfriend told police he had hit her earlier in the day, causing a bruise on her leg.
Powell played in 22 games with the Friars last season, with five starts, averaging 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds, according to Journal reports. He arrived at Providence through the transfer portal for his graduate year in 2025-26 after stints at North Carolina A&T, Sacramento State and Georgia Tech.
Powell was brought in by former Friars coach Kim English in an effort to reverse the program's fortunes.
Powell missed five games early in the season after suffering what English described as a mouth injury. He returned wearing a protective mask for a victory over rival Rhode Island and played double-digit minutes in 15 of Providence's next 17 games. He enjoyed his best outing in a Jan. 16 win at home over Creighton, collecting 10 points and seven rebounds.
Powell was suspended for three games after his hard foul incited a melee in a 79-69 home loss to St. John's on Feb. 14. Powell made contact across the head of former Friars forward Bryce Hopkins early in the second half that was assessed as a Flagrant 2 foul. He was punished by both the NCAA and the Big East for what were described as "combative actions" during the fight.
Powell returned to fanfare for Providence's home finale, a 78-56 blowout against Marquette on March 4. He played a combined 13 minutes in that home loss and in a following defeat against Georgetown.
With reports from Bill Koch
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Former PC basketball player Duncan Powell cleared of domestic charges
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Friday his office is launching an investigation into Major League Baseball, alleging religious discrimination against players who protested LGBTQ Pride night by writing Bible verses over rainbow logos on their cap.
“The Attorney General’s Office will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect the religious liberty of players and employees working in Florida,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
The catalyst for the investigation occurred at San Francisco Giants Pride Night on June 12 when three Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their special-edition rainbow logo Pride caps. On Thursday, in separate incident, minor league baseball team York Revolution in Pennsylvania refused to play its Pride Night game after players refused to wear uniforms that featured a rainbow design.
MLB officials had not commented on Uthmeier’s move late Friday.
The league said earlier that the Giants players violated apparel regulations that explicitly prohibit outside writing or personal messaging on game-day gear “regardless of the message.”
“Major League Baseball claims it does not tolerate discrimination based on religion, yet its actions tell a different story,” Uthmeier said in his statement. “If MLB applauds ideological messages it prefers while reprimanding expressions of Christian faith, that is not a neutral rule enforcement — it is religious discrimination that cannot stand in Florida.”
Uthmeier said MLB has allowed players to express other views on their uniforms, such as wearing Black Lives Matter sleeve patches.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office has issued a subpoena, under the state’s Civil Rights Act and the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, demanding MLB produce by July 23 all uniform and equipment rules, a history of enforcing its policy on markings, policies on Pride Nights and player records from the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins and 15 Grapefruit League clubs across Florida.
Rand Hoch, a contract lawyer and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said employers, like Major League Baseball, have a right to set dress or uniform codes.
“I don’t know who he thinks he is pandering to,” Hoch said of Uthmeier. “To spend taxpayer dollars just to get his name in right-wing media is totally insane.”
Howard Marks, an attorney with Burr & Forman in Orlando, said Uthmeier doesn’t have much of a case.
“It’s a political position that he wants to get out,” Marks told WKMG-TV. “But I’m not sure there’s much of a legal First Amendment case that could be brought by him.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida AG launches investigation into MLB LGBTQ Pride controversy
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Friday his office is launching an investigation into Major League Baseball, alleging religious discrimination against players who protested LGBTQ Pride night by writing Bible verses over rainbow logos on their cap.
“The Attorney General’s Office will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect the religious liberty of players and employees working in Florida,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
The catalyst for the investigation occurred at San Francisco Giants Pride Night on June 12 when three Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their special-edition rainbow logo Pride caps. On Thursday, in separate incident, minor league baseball team York Revolution in Pennsylvania refused to play its Pride Night game after players refused to wear uniforms that featured a rainbow design.
MLB officials had not commented on Uthmeier’s move late Friday.
The league said earlier that the Giants players violated apparel regulations that explicitly prohibit outside writing or personal messaging on game-day gear “regardless of the message.”
“Major League Baseball claims it does not tolerate discrimination based on religion, yet its actions tell a different story,” Uthmeier said in his statement. “If MLB applauds ideological messages it prefers while reprimanding expressions of Christian faith, that is not a neutral rule enforcement — it is religious discrimination that cannot stand in Florida.”
Uthmeier said MLB has allowed players to express other views on their uniforms, such as wearing Black Lives Matter sleeve patches.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office has issued a subpoena, under the state’s Civil Rights Act and the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, demanding MLB produce by July 23 all uniform and equipment rules, a history of enforcing its policy on markings, policies on Pride Nights and player records from the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins and 15 Grapefruit League clubs across Florida.
Rand Hoch, a contract lawyer and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said employers, like Major League Baseball, have a right to set dress or uniform codes.
“I don’t know who he thinks he is pandering to,” Hoch said of Uthmeier. “To spend taxpayer dollars just to get his name in right-wing media is totally insane.”
Howard Marks, an attorney with Burr & Forman in Orlando, said Uthmeier doesn’t have much of a case.
“It’s a political position that he wants to get out,” Marks told WKMG-TV. “But I’m not sure there’s much of a legal First Amendment case that could be brought by him.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida AG launches investigation into MLB LGBTQ Pride controversy
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