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GREENSBORO — College athletes, who are often physically and socially the big men on campus, should not get a pass on rules for sexual conduct, says a victims’ advocate in Greensboro.

Susan Wies, director of the Victim Services Division at Family Service of the Piedmont, a nonprofit support agency in Greensboro, said that such athletes enjoy a name recognition that may allow them to feel they can bend rules.

“It may be that colleges are supporting athletes to have too much social capital,” she said, in response to news about a sexual assault report filed by a Wake Forest student against members of the Demon Deacon men’s basketball team.

“We’ve got these kids with quite a lever,” Wies said of athletes. “It’s their career, it’s their education, it’s their scholarship. I wish we would set these kids up to not abuse power.”

NBC’s “The Today Show” will broadcast a segment around 7:45 a.m. today (WXII-12) that discusses the 2009 allegations.

Wake Forest campus police initially investigated the report filed by a female student, then submitted their findings to Miami law enforcement officials because the alleged incident occurred in Florida after the team’s NCAA tournament loss.

A student filed the report after she said she refused to touch guard Gary Clark’s genitals, but then was asked to perform oral sex in a bathroom while Clark’s teammate Jeff Teague stood outside. Clark told police the act was consensual.

“This case is two years old, but for whatever reason it’s coming out right now, and that makes it twice in one year for Wake Forest,” Wies said.

In October, Wake basketball player Tony Woods pleaded guilty to assault on a female. The victim, Woods’ girlfriend and a Wake student, suffered a fractured spine during an argument. Woods subsequently left the university.

Officials at NBC did not return messages Tuesday or Wednesday about the latest story. Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch addressed the issue Tuesday in a letter to the Wake Forest community.

Hatch did not respond to further questions.

Wies hopes the campus reaction includes an expanded conversation about the roles of men and women in sexual settings.

“It doesn’t matter how badly you’ve invested in making this sexual situation happen,” she said. “When there is some dissent, you have to stop.”

The report by Miami police said the female student had encountered Clark and Teague at about 3:30 a.m. on March 21, 2009.

“I see someone with not much social capital getting attention from two guys who have a lot of social capital,” Wies said. “And so she’s gotten herself into a situation where she’s in the bathroom with one of them and knows that the other one is on the other side of the door. They didn’t have to pose any kind of threat; they are a serious physical presence.”

Miami officials said that there was not enough evidence for a case.

“I really hope that Wake Forest is partnering with their women’s wellness center and getting down to launch some primary prevention programs,” Wies said.

Practices such as avoiding unsafe places and situations are secondary preventions, Wies said.

Primary prevention means listening, and stopping, she said, when someone says no.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com