Female students say they have been encouraged to remain silent after incidents of sexual assault.
Four current and alumni of Brown University in Rhode Island have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the Ivy League institution failed to protect them from sexual misconduct. You cite several violations of Title IX.
“Brown University has systematically and repeatedly failed to protect women from rape and other sexual misconduct,” said the lawsuit, which also suggests that the university promotes a “culture of silence” that prevents such cases from being reported . One of the women said she was advised not to file a formal complaint after she was raped at a party because it happened off campus.
Kim Evans, one of the women’s advocates, said, “It is hard enough for an abuse survivor to tell her truth, even in the best of circumstances. But here we have Brown survivors who encounter apathy and indifference, which makes a really difficult situation even more traumatic. “
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The women named are Chloe Burns, a 2019 graduate; Taja Hirata-Epstein, graduate 2020; Katiana Soenen, second year student; and Carter Woodruff, who enrolled in 2016, went on sick leave and is seeking reinstatement.
One of the plaintiffs said Brown held their suspected attacker responsible but appointed him to be a speaker at the school’s opening ceremony while appealing the case. The university eventually overturned the conviction and sanctioned it after going public. The male student did not speak at the ceremony.
In a joint statement, the four women wrote of the university’s misconduct policy: “The so-called systems of justice and support at Brown, and the faculty, staff, and administration that implement them perpetuate and exacerbate injustices and harm that they supposedly want to fix. Brown survivors are silenced, injured, fired and discouraged from seeking justice from the university. “
Evans said the women want a court order binding Brown to comply with Federal Title IX requirements and compensation for damages. She stated, “Your primary focus here is on making changes and reforms to protect current and future students.”
The trial follows student protests a few months ago against Brown’s mistreatment of sexual assault cases, which allegedly began as early as 1985 when victims began “writing the names of their perpetrators on the library bathroom walls,” the lawsuit said. The university was originally founded in 1765 and currently has more than 10,000 students enrolled.
“Our clients are taking this necessary step and believe that, given his decades of inaction, Brown simply continues to say the 18th Women.
Cass Cliatt, senior vice president of communications for the university, said, “Brown has made it an institutional priority to create an environment where incidents of sexual violence will not be tolerated, and the experiences and perspectives of students and others that of sexual violence If you are affected by violence, it was important to be informed about the measures we had taken. “
Brown settled a $ 14 million federal lawsuit in September 2020. The lawsuit came after the university decided to cut down on women’s varsity sports teams.
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Lawsuit alleges Brown University failed to protect women from sexual misconduct
Brown University has failed to protect women from sexual misconduct, the lawsuit said
BROWN UNIVERSITY TO RESTORE TWO WOMEN’S SPORTS TEAMS IN RESPONSE TO TITLE IX LEGAL ACTION
