Federal lawsuit alleges Hillsdale College fails to investigate reports of sexual assault
HILLSDALE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A federal lawsuit against Michigan's Hillsdale College alleges that the institution "exposes students to an unacceptable and unusually high risk of sexual assault."
Two women filed the lawsuit Wednesday through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Both women, who filed individually and on behalf of other similarly situated students, said they were raped in 2021, and in response, the college allegedly conducted "phony" investigations and blamed them for the incidents.
Grace Chen, who is currently a junior at Hillsdale College and a track athlete, alleged that after the assault, the school refused to protect her from the assailant and failed to explain its findings, according to the lawsuit. Chen said she also continued to see her assailant multiple times a week.
Danielle Villarreal, who left Hillsdale, alleges the college "backtracked on its initial indication that it believed her" and "refused to put anything in writing."
The lawsuit also alleges that Hillsdale's sexual misconduct policy "is so deficient that even if the school had enforced it diligently, it still would not have prevented sexual assaults on campus."
"Most students at Hillsdale do not even know about the "sexual misconduct policy" or do not believe it applies to them," the lawsuit reads. "Students who are aware of the policy have advocated for it to be strengthened; Hillsdale has repeatedly refused. As a result of this institutional failure, students at Hillsdale are vulnerable to sexual assault from their peers."
In a statement, Chen said the lawsuit is about addressing the college's approach to handling similar reports from students.
"My goal in filing this complaint is to prevent others attending Hillsdale from enduring the same painful experience I did," she said.
Villarreal said the lawsuit aims to "bring meaningful change that ensures the safety and well-being of all students at the college."
"I want to emphasize that our collective complaint goes beyond our individual experiences. It sheds light on a systemic issue at Hillsdale College concerning how sexual assault reports are handled," she said in a statement.
Hillsdale issued the following statement Wednesday night:
"Hillsdale College is aware of the lawsuit filed against it today in federal court. The accusations made in the suit are serious mischaracterizations of Hillsdale College's campus culture and sexual assault policies and procedures which have been developed with the utmost concern for the protection of our students.
"Hillsdale College takes the safety of its students very seriously and strives to educate students about sexual assault, answer frequently asked questions about sexual assault, and detail the procedures for contacting appropriate persons at the college, Hillsdale Hospital, and Hillsdale City Police. Hillsdale also, however, understands the importance of maintaining the rights of the accused as the process of investigation and remediation is carried out. The college has established procedures for dealing with allegations of misconduct; these procedures are outlined in resources provided to all students. Over the past decade, Hillsdale College has worked with expert third parties to ensure its policies and procedures regarding investigations of sexual assault are exceptional with respect to ascertaining the true nature of the alleged incident while also protecting the rights and reputation of both the accused and the alleged victim.
"When allegations of sexual misconduct are made, Hillsdale promptly and thoroughly investigates the accusations, through independent counsel, as was done with the allegations of Ms. Chen and Ms. Villarreal. Hillsdale also offers assistance to the alleged victim and implements necessary interim measures, whether supportive or protective.
"Based on the findings of the independent counsel, if a student is found responsible for violating any of the Regulations of Proper Student Conduct or the Honor Code, the deans are authorized to impose disciplinary measures as outlined in the Procedure for Student Discipline. The deans are further authorized to take any other necessary action to stop the conduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects while protecting the Hillsdale College community."