Teen's Parents Sue Johns Hopkins Over Alleged Frat Rape
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The parents of a 16-year-old who says she was sexually assaulted at an off-campus fraternity party are suing Johns Hopkins University for $20 million.
The lawsuit alleges that the teen attended a party at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house near the university's Baltimore campus in November 2014 and was sexually assaulted by two men in a bathroom while she was drunk. The men, who face criminal charges and are not Johns Hopkins students, are also named in the lawsuit.
Although the university suspended the fraternity after the incident, the suit says the school failed to provide a safe and secure environment, and did not prevent alcohol from being served.
The two men, Chaz Haggins, 20, and Ethan Turner, 19, were arrested and charged with rape in December of 2014.
The Associated Press does not usually identify people who make allegations of sexual abuse.
A statement from the school said it "fully cooperated" with the police investigation.
"Those individuals have no affiliation with the university, and the assault allegedly took place at a property owned by a third party. We will continue to cooperate with the pending criminal prosecution," the statement read. "Following the incident, Johns Hopkins suspended the SAE chapter, based on reports of underage drinking and other serious violations of university policy at the SAE party. We remain committed to raising awareness in our community of the serious problem of sexual assault."
Johns Hopkins is currently under federal investigation for its handling of sexual assault complaints.
The lawsuit says that the girl's blood alcohol content was .11, meaning she was intoxicated at the time of the assault and could not give consent. Additionally, the suit says the girl has since undergone medical and psychological treatment for the trauma she endured.
"As a direct and proximate result of Fraternity and JHU's negligent conduct," the suit reads, the girl "was raped and sustained and continues to sustain injuries for which she is entitled to compensation."
AP-WF-07-22-15 2018GMT
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