A former Baylor University student is suing the private Baptist insitution over allegations that it has been "deliberately indifferent" at her rape complaints againts its ex-football player who was later convicted of sexual assault. The negligence lawsuit filed on Wednesday alleges the university officials and a football coach of callous treatment over the controversial case.
According to Dallas Morning News, Jasmin Hernandez, 22 years old, filed a federal lawsuit against Baylor University, its officials and the university coach, Art Briles, for treating her sexual assault complaints callously . The lawsuit also stated that the private Baptist school in Waco failed to act against the footballer, Tevin Elliott, despite receiving six complaints from women claiming he assaulted them.
The defendant named in the lawsuit has not yet commented regarding the case. However, the university stated in an official statement that they will respond to the filed complaint after they review the case. Baylor has been also facing backlash and pressure from the students and alumni regarding the treatment of the cited case.
Elliott was convicted of two counts of sexual assault in 2014 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to Daily Mail. The allegations of the Orange County woman surfaceda week after the university made an announcement of their new improved measures against sexual assaults.
Sexual assault victims are not iusually dentified in the public and their names are not published in media, however, Hernandez said on her video uploaded online on Thursday that she decided to reveal herself. "Publicizing the concerns I have with Baylor essentially ignoring these sorts of issues, not only in my case but in similar situations," she said.
Her lawsuit alleges that the university did not offer her counseling or help as she struggled academically after the assault. She was placed on probation when her grades dropped, lost her academic scholarship and eventually left Baylor in 2012, Reuters reported.
Hernandez's parent also informed the football coach Art Briles and athletic director Ian McCaw regarding the assault, however, McCaw reportedly told them "there was nothing the school could do unless the football player was convicted."The plaintiff argues in her lawsuit that Baylor violated federal Title IX protections against sexual harassment. University administrators declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit on Thursday.
