Time again, another college has been accused of mishandling a Title IX complaint. On November 5th, 2021, a Brown University student identified by the name Jane Doe filed a complaint with Brown’s Title IX office claiming that a men’s lacrosse player raped her.[2] On September 11th, 2023, Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in the US District Court alleging that Brown mishandled her Title IX complaint.[3]
In her complaint filed earlier this month, Jane Doe claimed that after she reported her Title IX complaint, she was the subject of “repeated harassment” at Brown by her abuser, other Brown students, and employees of Brown.[4] Doe filed the current lawsuit alleging Brown failed to “take adequate measures to end plaintiff’s harassment and ensure her safety.” Brown disputes Doe’s claims against the university.[5]
In her Title IX complaint, Doe claimed that a member of Brown’s men’s lacrosse team raped her on October 30, 2021, at a residence known as the “Senior Lacrosse House.” Doe alleged that the lacrosse player shared explicit images of her with other members of the team and the teammates responded with jokes about the alleged perpetrator’s actions[6].
After Brown investigated the complaint, the alleged perpetrator was suspended from campus and banned for a period of two years. The alleged perpetrator filed a lawsuit against Brown arguing that the suspension was unfair, accusing Brown and a third-party investigator of multiple violations including discrimination, negligence, and emotional distress.[7]
The federal court ruled in favor of the accused perpetrator, allowing him to return to classes and resume athletic activities. Brown awarded the alleged perpetrator a degree in 2022.[8]
This is not Brown’s first run in with Title IX. Brown has been under fire the past few years over its response to sexual assault cases.
In the spring of 2021, over 200 students marched to the university president’s home to demand the administration take a tougher stand against sexual violence. In the summer of 2021, four female Brown students filed a class-action complaint alleging Brown systematically and repeatedly failed to protect women from harm. The women also stated that sexual assault at Brown is an “epidemic.” The court separated the class action into different suits. These suits are still pending.[9]
Brown released survey data in 2019 that showed twenty-five percent of undergraduate women at Brown reported nonconsensual contact while at the university. Over forty-eight percent of students reported experiencing one type of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature.[10]
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. Title IX requires universities to ensure that someone who experiences sexual violence is given proper support services.[11] The university must also take actions to prevent the harassment from happening again. A person who files a Title IX complaint cannot be punished for reporting sexual violence. Universities cannot retaliate against the person who filed the complaint, and the university must protect students from retaliation by third parties.
If Doe’s allegations are validated, Brown will be in hot water, especially since it currently has multiple other lawsuits against it for mishandling sexual assault. Will Brown address this systematic problem? Or will Brown continue to take institutional cover, protect the abuse, and victimize the victim?
[1] Featured Image: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/08/metro/hundreds-brown-university-students-protest-against-sexual-violence/
[2] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
[3] https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/09/lawsuit-by-u-undergraduate-alleges-brown-mishandled-title-ix-complaint
[4] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
[5] https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/09/lawsuit-by-u-undergraduate-alleges-brown-mishandled-title-ix-complaint
[6] https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/09/lawsuit-by-u-undergraduate-alleges-brown-mishandled-title-ix-complaint
[7] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
[8] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
[9] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
[10] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/14/metro/sexual-assault-mishandling-lawsuit-brown-university-names-student-athlete-rape/
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