Three More Women Sue Baylor Over Rape Response
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WACO, Texas (AP) — Three more women have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Baylor University, claiming the school did nothing to help them after they reported being sexually assaulted.
The Baptist school in Waco has come under intense criticism for mishandling allegations of sexual assault over several years, including cases involving football players. University president and chancellor Ken Starr was demoted and head football coach Art Briles was fired.
The women, all listed as "Jane Doe," say they were attacked in university housing in 2004, 2012 and 2014. None of the alleged assailants are identified, but the woman in the 2014 case alleges the attacker was a football player.
Baylor officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Baylor is currently trying to settle a similar lawsuit filed in March.
The lawsuit says the woman in the 2004 attack dropped out in 2008, then re-enrolled at Baylor in 2015 only to be suspended in 2016 when anxiety over media reports of the investigation into sexual assaults impacted her school work. The woman in the 2014 case said she dropped out after the fall 2015 semester.
The lawsuit doesn't say whether the woman in the 2013 attack remains in school, but said it has "severely impaired her physical and mental health and well-being." According to the lawsuit, a campus police investigation of her case remains open.
Baylor spokeswoman Tonya Lewis declined to comment on the allegations raised in Wednesday's lawsuit.
"The decision to report to the university or other authorities is a brave and personal choice and occurs on the student's timetable," Lewis said. "We're committed to, and have already begun to implement changes in order to provide a safe and supportive environment for students and faculty."
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