Liberty University Sexual Assault Lawsuit
As part of its Title IX Abuse and Discrimination practice, Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s Principal Erika Jacobsen White and Senior Counsel Drew LaFramboise are representing “Jane Doe” in her suit against Liberty University.
On April 27, 2021, Plaintiff Jane Doe, a Liberty University student, was brutally raped and sexually assaulted by a fellow Liberty student on the premises of an off-campus student housing complex called The Oasis. Liberty University received prompt notice of the rape and assault but failed to provide Plaintiff with services or reasonable accommodations required under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act, and other laws as described in the Complaint.
The Complaint was filed on April 27, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, to hold Liberty University accountable for failing to investigate Jane Doe’s report of a violent student-on-student sexual assault and rape, refusing to provide accommodations for her emotional, physical, psychological suffering that resulted from the assault, and retaliating and discriminating against her in the wake of the assault.
Click here for more information.
Recent news coverage on this issue is below.
The Daily Beast, April 29, 2022: Feds Turn Up at Liberty U to Probe Handling of Sex Assault Reports (thedailybeast.com)
WFXR TV, April 29, 2022: Sen. Kaine, Roanoke attorney discuss Title IX amid misconduct reports at Liberty University (wfxrtv.com)
ProPublica, April 29, 2022: Liberty University’s Handling of Sexual Assaults Under Investigation by Department of Education — ProPublica
The Hill, April 28, 2022: Liberty University sued for allegedly failing to investigate student assault | The Hill
University Business, April 28, 2022: Liberty University facing another claim it mishandled report of sexual assault | (universitybusiness.com)
Stars And Stripes, April 28, 2022: New plaintiff claims Liberty University mishandled sexual assault report | Stars and Stripes
The Roys Report, April 28, 2022: New Lawsuit Accuses Liberty U of Retaliating Against Rape Victim (julieroys.com)
The New Yorker, April 27, 2022: https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-education/can-liberty-university-be-saved
Washington Post, April 27, 2022: New plaintiff claims Liberty University mishandled sexual assault report
WSET, April 27, 2022: https://wset.com/news/abc13-investigates/liberty-university-lu-sued-student-violated-title-ix-laws-april-27-2022-2021-rape-sexual-assault
WSLS, April 27, 2022: https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/04/27/liberty-university-sued-over-alleged-failure-to-investigate-reported-rape/
WAVY, April 27, 2022: https://www.wavy.com/news/virginia/another-jane-doe-sues-liberty-unviersity-claims-rape-sexual-assault-ignored/
Axios, April 27, 2022: https://www.axios.com/liberty-university-lawsuit-alleges-sex-assault-claims-mishandled-263f0529-c8dd-49e0-acdf-24565271e4f9.html
