Baylor University Settles Lawsuit Over Alleged Sexual Assaults
The lawsuit has been pending since 2016 and was settled under undisclosed terms.
The nation’s largest Baptist university has settled a lawsuit brought by 15 women alleging they were sexually assaulted on or near campus, according to the Associated Press.
Baylor University in Waco, Texas, was sued by the women in 2016. The lawsuit eventually resulted in the ouster of the university’s president and head football coach, and tarnished the school’s reputation.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
“We are deeply sorry for anyone connected with the Baylor community who has been harmed by sexual violence,” Baylor University said in a statement. “While we can never erase the reprehensible acts of the past, we pray that this agreement will allow these 15 survivors to move forward in a supportive manner.”
The scandal first came to light in 2015 and 2016 when Baylor football players were accused of sexual assault.
Baylor hired a law firm, Pepper Hamilton, to investigate how the allegations of assault were handled.
The women claimed that, in addition to being assaulted, school officials pressured them to not report their attacks.
While the law firm’s investigation has never been fully released to the public, it determined that Baylor did little to respond to accusations of sexual assault involving football players over several years, and also raised broader questions about the school’s response to sexual assault claims across campus.
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In response, Baylor removed its president Kenneth Starr from leadership and also fired head football coach Art Briles, who had led the school to a Big XII Championship.
Baylor officials claim the school has made sweeping changes in addressing sexual assault claims and victims based on the Pepper Hamilton report.
Chad Dunn, an attorney for the women who settled Monday, said the scandal involved more than the problems in the football program that captured early attention.
“[The victims’] bravery and strength has created legal precedents that empower others to gain relief from the injuries inflicted by their universities, while also securing safer education environments for future generations,” Dunn said.
“Baylor’s focus of media attention on football tried to misdirect attention from institutional failures of the Baylor administration. Our clients would have none of that,” Dunn said. “Their determination brought the focus on officials in the ivory tower and ‘the Baylor way.’ ”
Main photo: Photo via social media
