IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Navy leaders have backed off a commander's claim that an Iowa State University midshipman fabricated a sexual assault but ruled the victim will nonetheless be expelled for drinking underage before the molestation occurred.

In a recent letter to U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, a Navy leader said the July 2016 assault was "unfortunate and appalling" but irrelevant to the 20-year-old's decision to drink alcohol the night a man allegedly touched his genitals with a beer bottle. Unwanted touching is considered sexual assault under military rules.

S.C. Evans, commander of t...