Student claims Michigan State failed to protect her after alleged sexual assault by football player

Student says football player assaulted her in 2015

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University is facing a Title IX lawsuit after a student said nothing was done to protect her after an alleged sexual assault.

The student said a football player assaulted her on St. Patrick's Day in 2015 when she was just 18 years old.

This is the latest instance in a string of complaints about the school's handling of sexual assault allegations, from disgraced gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar to a federal investigation into the school's overall practices.

She's listed as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, and she admitted she was intoxicated when she was allegedly sexually assaulted in her dorm room. Local 4 isn't naming the football player because he was never charged, but the lawsuit alleges a disturbing pattern.

The lawsuit claims Michigan State protected its football player at the expense of a sexual assault victim. After the player was banned from campus for violating the sexual misconduct policy, the lawsuit alleges Michigan State invited him back for a golf outing.

According to the lawsuit, the student feared retaliation after the assault. She said she was afraid every day that she would see the player, his friends or other football players, the lawsuit said.

"There is so much going on now that every person coming forward is just (bringing us) one inch closer to making a statement, making a difference to people who haven't been listening," attorney Karen Truszkowski said.

Following a federal investigation, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights found that Michigan State failed to comply with its own policies. It's alleged that by the time Michigan State completed a second investigation into the student's case, the player had graduated.

The lawsuit said the student has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the stress of dealing with rejection and failures of the school to help her.

"She wants people to stand up and listen," Truszkowski said. "People over there need to take ownership of what happened and move on from here and do better."

Michigan State spokesman Jason Cody released the following statement:

"MSU just became aware of the lawsuit this morning. While MSU does not comment on pending litigation, we will continue work to improve how MSU prevents and responds to sexual assault as we defend against this lawsuit."


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.