Exclusive | Obama-honored anti-womens violence hero charged with beating and stalking girlfriend in appalling campaign of terror

A prominent lawyer and former basketball star honored by Obama for campaigning to stop violence against women on college campuses has been charged for allegedly stalking and beating his girlfriend – then stopping her from reporting him.Cody McDavis, who played at basketball at the University of Northern Colorado before studying law at UCLA and becoming an associate at Los Angeles firm Vedder Price, was even profiled in Sports Illustrated for his efforts to have the NCAA ban students with a history of violence from playing sports.But on July 20, McDavis was charged with six felony and three misdemeanor counts accusing him of undertaking a year-long campaign of violence and intimidation against his girlfriend between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a complaint filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.Prosecutors allege the 32-year-old “willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly” followed and harassed his girlfriend, leaving her in fearing for the safety of herself and her immediate family.The allegations are a stunning contrast with McDavis’ years of public advocacy against sexual and gender-based violence.The six-foot eight lawyer received numerous accolades for his sexual-violence-prevention work, including a White House Champion of Change award under former President Barack Obama for his role in the “It’s On Us” campaign.Launched by the Obama-Biden administration in 2014, the initiative sought to combat sexual assault on college campuses.McDavis was also named a Solidarity Honoree at the 2019 Voices of Solidarity event, which recognizes men who stand against gender-based violence and serve as allies to survivors.“The women in here who are doing this incredible work are told and told and told we want to hear your voice, but when you start talking, you get shoved down,” McDavis said during his acceptance speech.“That makes me sick, I can’t stand that.” One of the women in the audience was Brenda Tracy—a rape survivor and advocate—...