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New plaintiff claims Liberty University mishandled sexual assault report
HIGHER EDUCATION
New plaintiff claims Liberty University mishandled sexual assault report
The complaint from a former student comes amid heightened scrutiny of the school and its handling of sexual misconduct
By Susan Svrluga
April 27, 2022 at 7:06 p.m. EDT
At a time when Liberty University is already under scrutiny for its handling of reports of sexual assaults, a former student has come forward alleging that the school failed to investigate her claim of rape — and retaliated against her for reporting it. ... The lawsuit claims that the school has a pattern of weaponizing the student code of conduct against victims of sexual assault by leading them to fear that reporting an incident will get them in trouble for violating campus rules.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, alleges that the anonymous plaintiff was locked into her room, raped and sexually assaulted by a fellow student in April of last year. The lawsuit claims the university failed to investigate, take action or protective measures, and launched an inquiry into whether the plaintiff, then a junior at Liberty, had violated the school’s code of conduct.
The university’s actions violated the federal Title IX law prohibiting discrimination based on sex at schools that receive federal funding, the lawsuit alleges.
{snip}
This week, Drew LaFramboise, an attorney for the new plaintiff, said, “Liberty has knowingly created and fostered a culture where sexual violence is ignored or swept under the rug, and far too many students have suffered as a result.” ... According to the complaint, the plaintiff tried to escape her attacker through a window, tried to fight him off, and texted a friend for help. She went to a hospital within a few hours of the rape and filed a police report, according to the lawsuit, and several days later asked professors for academic extensions during finals. ... The lawsuit contends that university officials did not provide academic accommodations that semester or inform the campus community of the assault.
{snip}
Razzan Nakhlawi contributed to this report.
By Susan Svrluga
Susan Svrluga is a reporter covering higher education for The Washington Post. Before that, she covered education and local news at The Post. Twitter https://twitter.com/SusanSvrluga
New plaintiff claims Liberty University mishandled sexual assault report
The complaint from a former student comes amid heightened scrutiny of the school and its handling of sexual misconduct
By Susan Svrluga
April 27, 2022 at 7:06 p.m. EDT
At a time when Liberty University is already under scrutiny for its handling of reports of sexual assaults, a former student has come forward alleging that the school failed to investigate her claim of rape — and retaliated against her for reporting it. ... The lawsuit claims that the school has a pattern of weaponizing the student code of conduct against victims of sexual assault by leading them to fear that reporting an incident will get them in trouble for violating campus rules.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, alleges that the anonymous plaintiff was locked into her room, raped and sexually assaulted by a fellow student in April of last year. The lawsuit claims the university failed to investigate, take action or protective measures, and launched an inquiry into whether the plaintiff, then a junior at Liberty, had violated the school’s code of conduct.
The university’s actions violated the federal Title IX law prohibiting discrimination based on sex at schools that receive federal funding, the lawsuit alleges.
{snip}
This week, Drew LaFramboise, an attorney for the new plaintiff, said, “Liberty has knowingly created and fostered a culture where sexual violence is ignored or swept under the rug, and far too many students have suffered as a result.” ... According to the complaint, the plaintiff tried to escape her attacker through a window, tried to fight him off, and texted a friend for help. She went to a hospital within a few hours of the rape and filed a police report, according to the lawsuit, and several days later asked professors for academic extensions during finals. ... The lawsuit contends that university officials did not provide academic accommodations that semester or inform the campus community of the assault.
{snip}
Razzan Nakhlawi contributed to this report.
By Susan Svrluga
Susan Svrluga is a reporter covering higher education for The Washington Post. Before that, she covered education and local news at The Post. Twitter https://twitter.com/SusanSvrluga