A Los Angeles attorney once celebrated by the Obama White House for his work against sexual violence is now facing allegations of domestic abuse, stalking and intimidation involving his girlfriend. The case places a harsh spotlight on the gap between public advocacy and private conduct, though the charges remain allegations and have not been proven in court.
Cody McDavis, 32, was charged July 20 in Los Angeles County Superior Court with six felony counts and three misdemeanors, according to the New York Post. The felony counts include three allegations of inflicting corporal injury on his girlfriend, two stalking counts and one count alleging he tried to prevent her from pursuing a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors allege McDavis carried out a year-long campaign of violence and harassment from July 2025 through June 2026. The complaint reportedly says he repeatedly followed and harassed the woman, leaving her fearful for her own safety and that of her immediate family, and that he allegedly violated a protective order three times.
What The California Charges Allege
California law treats inflicting corporal injury on a dating partner as a felony when the alleged conduct results in a traumatic condition, while the state stalking statute addresses repeated following or harassment paired with a credible threat that creates fear for a person or their immediate family. The alleged effort to stop the woman from reporting or prosecuting the conduct also tracks California Penal Code Section 136.1, which covers attempts to dissuade a crime victim from contacting law enforcement or pursuing a case, according to California Legislative Information.
McDavis is being held on recommended bail of $550,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned September 2. The three misdemeanor counts involve alleged violations of a protective order, adding a court-order component to a case that prosecutors describe as an extended pattern rather than a single confrontation.
From White House Recognition To The Tracy Rule
Before the criminal case, McDavis built a national profile around preventing sexual and gender-based violence in college athletics. An archived White House profile describes him as a former University of Northern Colorado basketball player who worked with the It’s On Us campaign and led a national student video competition focused on sexual-assault prevention.
UCLA Law also previously described McDavis as a 2016 White House Champion of Change honoree and an advocate for policy changes involving sexual and gender-based violence. He later worked with rape survivor and advocate Brenda Tracy on a proposal widely known as the Tracy Rule, which sought to keep college athletes with serious findings for violence or sexual misconduct from competing.
McDavis was listed by the NCAA as a member of its commission addressing campus sexual violence, and Sports Illustrated profiled his campaign to change college athletics policies. The NCAA did not adopt the proposal as a national rule, although some conferences and individual schools pursued related policies.
A petition McDavis launched in 2019 seeking action from major college conferences reportedly gathered more than 280,000 signatures. The contrast between that campaign and the allegations now filed against him is the central tension in the case, but it is not a substitute for evidence that must be tested through the court process.
McDavis Remains Listed As An Active Attorney
The State Bar of California lists McDavis as an active attorney, and his professional profile at Vedder Price identifies him as an associate in the firm’s Los Angeles office. The New York Post reported that requests for comment from Vedder Price and defense attorney Shawn Holley were not answered.
McDavis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. His next scheduled court appearance is the September 2 arraignment, where the allegations and his legal response are expected to move into the public court record.
