Obama’s women’s safety champion Cody McDavis faces disturbing allegations from girlfriend

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Cody McDavis built a public reputation around a message that was difficult to misunderstand: violence against women should never be ignored.

The former college basketball player turned lawyer was once honored by the Obama White House for his work against violence and campaigned for stronger consequences for athletes accused of violent misconduct.

Now, according to a report published in New York Post on Tuesday,  August 4, that carefully built image faces a serious challenge as prosecutors accuse McDavis of stalking, assaulting and intimidating his girlfriend.

Former Obama honoree faces allegations

According to a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, McDavis, 32, is accused of a prolonged pattern of disturbing conduct involving his girlfriend between July 2025 and June 2026.

Prosecutors allege that McDavis repeatedly followed and harassed the woman and that his conduct left her concerned not only for her own safety but also for members of her immediate family.

The allegations go beyond claims of harassment.

McDavis has been charged with three felony counts alleging corporal injury to his girlfriend, along with two felony stalking charges and another felony count accusing him of attempting to prevent her from pursuing prosecution.

He also faces three misdemeanor charges related to an alleged violation of a protective order.

McDavis has not been convicted of the allegations, and the charges remain accusations that will be addressed in court.

But the nature of the case has drawn particular attention because of the identity McDavis spent years cultivating in public.

McDavis is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on September 2. Prosecutors have recommended bail of $550,000.

McDavis' honor by Obama White House

Before becoming a lawyer, McDavis was a Division I basketball player at the University of Northern Colorado.

He later attended UCLA law school and went on to work as an associate at Los Angeles law firm Vedder Price.

Along the way, however, another part of his career began attracting national attention.

McDavis became an outspoken advocate for preventing gender-based violence, particularly within college athletics. His campaign eventually brought him to the White House.

Under former President Barack Obama, McDavis received a Champion of Change award for his work with the “It’s On Us” initiative, a campaign launched by the Obama-Biden administration in 2014 to raise awareness about assault on college campuses.

The recognition helped cement McDavis’ image as a young male voice willing to publicly challenge a culture he believed had failed survivors.

The contrast between that public record and the allegations against him is likely to become a major point of attention as the criminal case progresses.