Woman Sues Alleged Rapist and Two UCLA Fraternities for Failing to Protect Her
A young woman in California is suing her alleged sexual assault perpetrator as well as two UCLA fraternities concerning policies she asserts are insufficient to protect future and alleged victims. The woman claims that a man perpetrated sexual assault against her at an August 2016 party. Identified as Jane Doe in the court filing, the woman claims the former UCLA student sexually assaulted her when she was intoxicated with alcohol after a night of partying. The attorney for the alleged abuser claims that the plaintiff consented to the sexual activity, according to the LA Times.
The alleged sexual assault
On the night in question, the woman claims that Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members continued to give her alcohol to drink at their house party after the point at which she was obviously intoxicated. She also alleges that members of the fraternity failed to intervene in the situation when she and her alleged abuser ended up in bed the following morning. Her allegation is that, due to her incapacitation from alcohol, she was unable to go home to her own place that night. At that point, a Zeta Beta Tau brother, she alleges, under the pretense of giving her a place to sleep off the alcohol, took her to his place and subsequently raped her.
She also claims the fraternity failed to investigate what occurred after she directly informed the president of the fraternity what happened. She also asserts that a member of the Zeta Beta Tau’s board tried to prevent her from reporting the incident to the University.
Rape on college campuses fueled by alcohol
As a method of choice among serial rapists, alcohol facilitated rape is too commonly used on college campuses. Having conducted research on the true characteristics of sexual assailants and the “undetected rapist,” Dr. David Lisak describes the strategy of using alcohol in a deliberate manner to “render victims more vulnerable to attack, or completely unconscious.” He notes that 63 percent of these sexual assault perpetrators had more than one victim.
College of William and Mary researchers in a 2007 study determined that men in fraternities are 300 percent more likely to perpetrate sexual violence than men on campus who do not belong to a fraternity.
A 2015 Association of American Universities survey regarding campus sexual assault revealed that 4 in 10 female seniors at Harvard University who shared in sorority and fraternity events had been the victim of sexual assault.
If you or a loved one has suffered sexual assault or abuse, we want to help. The Los Angeles injury lawyers of Taylor & Ring understand the devastating trauma these crimes inflict upon victims. We are committed to helping you move forward to secure the justice and compensation you deserve as a result of the violation and injury you have suffered. To set up a free consultation about your case with a compassionate and highly effective sexual assault attorney from our team, call us today at 310.776.6390 or use our contact form to send us a message.
David Ring is a nationally renowned plaintiff’s personal injury trial attorney and has obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of seriously-injured individuals or families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident. For more than 20 years, he has represented victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, assault, molestation and sexual misconduct in cases against a variety of employers and entities, including schools, churches and youth organizations.
He prides himself on providing aggressive, yet compassionate representation for children who have been sexually abused and women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted. Read more about David M. Ring.