WACO, Texas - A lawsuit filed on behalf of three women Wednesday accuses Baylor University of deliberate indifference to three "events of student-on-student sexual assault and subsequent sex-based harassment."
The plaintiffs, who are each named as 'Jane Doe' to conceal their identities, claim Baylor failed to "promptly and appropriately investigate and respond to the assaults" and "allowed a condition to be created that substantially increased their chances of being sexually assaulted as well as others."
The suit says the women reported the sexual abuse and harassment to the University but the University "failed to adequately investigate each and every one of the events," which would be a violation of Title IX.
The lawsuit lays out in detail the claims of the three women. The alleged assailants are all different people.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe 1 was sexually assaulted by a Baylor football player on April 26, 2014. The suit claims she reported it to her doctor but she was not told of "her options to further report the incident, accommodations she was entitled to under Title IX and further investigatory actions that could be taken by the University."
Jane Doe 2 claims she was sexually assaulted on September 4, 2004. The suit says a "Baylor Police Department officer failed to list several important facts on the report despite being provided them in the interview."
Jane Doe 3 claims she was sexually harassed and assaulted starting in the Fall of 2013 through December , 2015. She reported the sexual assaults to the counseling center and the health center.
The lawsuit does not lay out in detail what the women are seeking. It does say they request "actual damages, compensatory damages, nominal damages, punitive damages, court and litigation costs, expert fees, attorney fees, statutory interest and injunctive relief.
Baylor University released the following statement:
“Due to the deeply personal and sensitive nature of individual cases and federal law, we do not publicly address specific cases, even when a student publicly shares details or reports of his or her own experience. This safeguard also helps assure other students that their right to confidentiality will be protected. The decision to report to the university or other authorities is a brave and personal choice and occurs on the student’s timetable. We’re committed to and have already begun to implement changes in order to provide a safe and supportive environment for students and faculty.”
Lawsuit documents obtained by KVUE's sister station KCEN:
