A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court claims Kansas University compelled its female rowers to attend Jayhawk football games. This included athletes who’d reported assaults by Kansas football players.
Former KU athlete alleges Kansas made women go to football games despite assault claims against a player
Members of the women’s rowing team and other women were allegedly encouraged to party with football recruits as well.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The suit was filed by a former KU rower earlier this year and amended on Tuesday. She is accusing the university of numerous Title IX violations. Among the issues in the amended petition, per the Kansas City Star:
- "KU has an official policy that requires female rowers to attend KU football games, and to cheer and encourage the football players as they enter the field."
- "Even two rowers like [redacted], who had been sexually assaulted by a KU football player, were encouraged and expected to attend and root on the KU football players under KU’s policy."
- "KU has an official policy and practice of entertaining football recruits in hotels just off campus and encouraging female KU athletes to attend parties with the recruits."
Kansas officials have yet to comment on this amended version. Tuesday’s filing came in response to the university’s motion to dismiss the case back in May.
The woman, who said she was assaulted on campus by a since-dismissed football player in 2014, is also part of a class-action suit against the university, along with her teammate, who said the same player attacked her in 2015, according to the Lawrence Journal-World. That lawsuit accuses KU of misleading the public by presenting its campus as a safe space for students.
“I chose to stand up for myself and reported him to KU. Then KU did nothing for months,” one of the women said in a video.
“KU investigated the matter, provided Plaintiff an escort on campus, and expelled the assailant,” the school responded in May. “Those actions demonstrate KU’s commitment to addressing cases of sexual violence — both in her case and others — while respecting the due process rights of students accused of such assaults.”
See More:
