Liberty University 'enabled on-campus rapes:' 12 women file class action lawsuit

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: WSET-TV in Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University 'enabled on-campus rapes:' 12 women file class action lawsuit

by Cynthia Beasley Tuesday, July 20th 2021

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) -- A 15-year-old reported being sexually assaulted at a Liberty University camp, according to a class action lawsuit, but university police blamed her for violating the "Liberty Way" and needlessly had her strip naked and spread her butt cheeks for a photograph.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court for the Eastern of New York, says that during the 2000 incident, Liberty threatened to charge the teenager with filing a false report, made her ride in a police car with her alleged attacker and questioned her without water or food for eight hours -- all while failing to properly investigate her alleged attacker: Jesse Matthew, Jr., who went on to murder two college students years later.

In advance of being filed, the lawsuit was provided to ABC13's Cynthia Beasley, who has been investigating for a year-and-a-half allegations that Liberty University violated Title IX rules, repeatedly threatened victims with honor code violations and downplayed sexual assault allegations.

Twelve anonymous women, all of whom are former Liberty University employees or students, have signed onto the lawsuit that claims the university "enabled on-campus rapes" and suppressed complaints of sexual assault and rape.

{snip}

Read more: https://wset.com/news/abc13-investigates/liberty-university-enabled-on-campus-rapes-12-women-file-class-action-lawsuit-title-ix-lynchburg-virginia

---

Hat tip, Joe.My.God.

12 Women Sue Liberty U For "Enabling Campus Rape"
July 20, 2021

https://www.joemygod.com/2021/07/12-women-sue-liberty-u-for-enabling-campus-rape/

-- -- -- -- --

Jesse Matthews, Jr.:

I'll dig up some articles.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. No words...

[multigraincracker]

2. Here are some words....

&list=RDzFU0PTsykeU&start_radio=1

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

3. JFC!!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Forensic evidence links Hannah Graham suspect to murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington

Mon Sep 29, 2014: Forensic evidence links Hannah Graham suspect to murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington

Forensic evidence links Hannah Graham suspect to murdered Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington

WTVR, channel 6, Richmond

Posted 9:43 am, September 29, 2014, by Laura French and Scott Wise, Updated at 12:41pm, September 29, 2014

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The man suspected of abducting 18-year-old Hannah Graham from the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month is forensically linked to the 2009 disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, sources close to the investigation confirmed to CBS 6 reporter Laura French.

Those sources indicated that forensic evidence belonging to Graham suspect Jesse Matthew Jr., matched forensic evidence collected during the Harrington investigation.

The sources would not indicate what Matthew may or may not have done with Harrington, however the sources indicated that the forensic evidence match showed Harrington had some sort of contact with Matthew the night she disappeared outside John Paul Jones arena on October 17, 2009. Her remains were found in January 2010 on an Albemarle County farm.

{snip}

-- -- -- -- -- --

Hat tip, Fox 5 in DC: Suspect in Hannah Graham's abduction forensically linked to Harrington case

There's at least one other thread in LBN about Hannah Graham:

Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo says Jesse Matthew is in police custody

but the big news here is the link to the earlier disappearance.

Jesse Matthew's life is about to take a turn for the much, much worse.

Also, this story has made the TV network news, so it's far beyond local news.

State police: Forensic link found between Hannah Graham, Morgan Harrington cases

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2014 12:58 pm

By Laurence Hammack [e-mail] 981-3239

The investigation into a missing University of Virginia student has led to new forensic evidence in the five-year-old case of Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who also went missing in Charlottesville.

Last week’s arrest of Jesse L. Matthew, on charges of abducting Hannah Graham, “provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link” to the Harrington case, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a news release today.

Details of the type of forensic evidence — and how helpful it may prove to be — were not immediately clear. “There is still a great deal of work to be done in regards to this investigation,” Geller said. ... But the news gave hope to Gil and Dan Harrington of Roanoke County, who have been working for the past five years to find the person responsible for their daughter’s death.

“We’re relieved that justice for Morgan may be coming,” Dan Harrington said today. He declined to elaborate on what the Harringtons have been told by police, saying “I think the focus needs to be on trying to find Hannah Graham.”

{snip}

Suspect’s arrest in U-Va. case provides lead in 2009 death of Virginia Tech student

By T. Rees Shapiro, Mary Pat Flaherty and Justin Jouvenal
September 29, 2014

Virginia State Police investigators said Monday that the arrest of Jesse L. “LJ” Matthew Jr., who allegedly abducted missing U-Va. student Hannah Graham this month, has provided “a significant break” in the case of a young woman who similarly disappeared in Charlottesville five years ago and was later found dead.

Police said Matthew’s arrest last week has given state police investigators “a new forensic link” to pursue in the abduction and slaying of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20, who went missing in Charlottesville on Oct. 17, 2009. Harrington’s body was found in a field 10 miles south of town 101 days after she disappeared outside a Metallica concert at a U-Va. arena.

Charlottesville police allege that Matthew abducted Graham in the early-morning hours of Sept. 13 after he found her walking alone and intoxicated in the city’s downtown area. Graham, who was seen with Matthew sometime after 1 a.m. that day, has not been heard from since. Extensive searches for Graham have been unsuccessful.

{snip}

T. Rees Shapiro
T. Rees Shapiro was an education reporter for The Washington Post. He left The Post in September 2017.

Mary Pat Flaherty
Mary Pat Flaherty works on investigative and long-range stories. Her work has won numerous national awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. Follow https://twitter.com/marypatflaherty

Justin Jouvenal
Justin Jouvenal covers courts and policing in Fairfax County and across the nation. He joined The Post in 2009. Follow https://twitter.com/jjouvenal

[njhoneybadger]

5. Christianity is rotten to the core

[erronis]

19. I don't usually defend the original Jesus Christ (such as he may have been)

but he is, at least nominatively, "the core".

All the rest of the hangers-on, shills, opportunists, grifters since CE 0 have taken bank on that one guy's good reputation.

Including any present day xians. And I know many of you are good at heart and do good deeds, but you're still doing them based on one of the false tales that the organized religions have spouted.

[Wild blueberry]

6. Liberty U dedicated to white supremacy and patriarchy (and grifting)

Of course women don't matter there.

[IronLionZion]

7. If these assholes are God's people, I'd rather go to hell

[Mr. Evil]

10. I'm amazed by the amount of deference afforded these people.

Not to mention the amount of treachery they are allowed to get away with simply by invoking 'God.' God says this, god says that, god wants this, god wants that. Just plain disgusting. Liberty U should be shut down. Take those 12 and multiply by a thousand and that's probably closer to the actual cases of sexual assault and rape there over the years.

[IronLionZion]

11. God wants what's good for me and bad for you

I have a direct line to God so don't argue with me on this or you go to hell.

[Mr. Evil]

17. Only because you tapped into MY direct line to god!

What makes you believe we're not already in hell?! I'm highly respected here. Why do you think they call me, Mr. Evil?
Heh... heh... heh!

[csziggy]

24. In the past in college towns the police protect the university rather than victims

That has been true for centuries, I suspect.

Here in Tallahassee, FSU male athletes - mostly football players - got special treatment until the Jameis Winston case hit the news.

FSU official says football players get special treatment in sexual assault cases
By By Gary Fineout
Associated Press |
Nov 26, 2015 at 3:00 AM

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University official once in charge of the office that counsels campus rape victims told lawyers suing the school that football players receive special treatment, and that most of the 20 victims who alleged sexual assaults by team members during the past nine years declined to press student conduct charges.

Melissa Ashton, who had been director of FSU's victim advocate program until August, made the statement in a deposition given this past June in an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by former student Erica Kinsman against the university. Kinsman says the university failed to respond to her allegations that she was sexually assaulted by ex-Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston.

The Associated Press does not routinely identify people who say they are sexual assault victims. However, Kinsman told her story publicly in a documentary. She has also filed federal lawsuits against FSU and Winston.

Winston, who is now the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, denied Kinsman's allegation and was cleared of wrongdoing by FSU following a hearing late last year. A Florida prosecutor chose not to press criminal charges in late 2013, saying there were gaps in the accuser's story and there wasn't enough evidence to win a conviction.

More: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-state-seminoles/os-fsu-football-players-special-treatment-sexual-assault-20151126-story.html

Notice that the rape survivors did not refuse to press rape charges - they refused to press "student conduct charges" - what kind of bogus shit is that?

Kinsman who sued FSU later collected nearly a million dollars from the university, alleging that Winston gave her a drug and raped her while she was unable to object or fight back.

So it is not just the "Christian" colleges and universities where this happens - it happens at most good sized colleges and universities in communities that rely on their money to profit.

[Lonestarblue]

8. White evangelical Christianity seems to promote men owning women's bodies.

They think they have the right to do anything they want. Forcing a 15-year-old to strip because of sexual assault claims serves no purpose other than to entertain the men who did it. Disgusting. No wonder they worship Trump. He raped a 13-year-old whose case was settled out of court because of the death threats his supporters made.

[Probatim]

9. I said this a few weeks ago re: Michigan football doctor and religion.

There is no difference between big time sports and big time religion - no one, and I mean no one, is permitted to "embarrass" leadership or besmirch the reputation of the organization.

If a few boys or girls are sexually assaulted while the school is winning or the church is collecting full plates, the accusers will just have to "live with their shame".

Bo Schembechler's own son was assaulted during his time in school and nothing was done about it. Liberty U let some rapist go and he went on to murder two other women.

We'd be a lot better off if these institutions had to pay for their actions.

[erronis]

20. Yup. It's just organized mobsters/advertisers/grifters.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Well, no shit. That's what fundamentalist shitbags do.

I'm sure ol' Jerry himself had his way with many a male and female student, and probably the kids visiting to see if they wanted to go to college there.

When one has an environment in which telling the truth is considered a God-hating behavior, and in which women are pondscum, and children are pondscum, and minorities are pondscum... and one has an environment in which holding people accountable is considered God-hating behavior... and one has an environment in which anything a leader does is ipso facto "holy" and "righteous"...

yeah, rape's a'gonna happen.

Those 12 are, I'm sure, merely 0.01% of the total in Liberty's lifetime.

[rickyhall]

13. Always wondered about the name of the town.

I know it's named after a guy named Lynch (who might be my relative), but...

[Hela]

14. Under His Eye

Margaret Atwood saw fundamentalists for what they were 35 years ago.

[SergeStorms]

15. Well of course they did.

Women being the "lesser vessel", men's property, and all.

As if it's needed

[Warpy]

16. Ignore the rapists, humiliate and punish the girls and women, typical patriarchy

I know sensible Christians who mostly got the point and I value them in my life. However, the patriarchal assholes who are running the big organizations didn't get the point, none of it, having discovered that hate sells better than Jesus ever did.

University and college enrollment is down across the board as Gen Z isn't stupid and sees education as a path to a lifetime of crippling debt instead of a ticket to the upper middle class. I hope these useless bible schools are the first to go under.

And I hope shining the light of legal proceedings on the cockroaches who run them will discourage young girls from attending them.

[keithbvadu2]

18. All that trouble and all he had to do was be their pool boy for many blessing and privileges.

All that trouble and all he had to do was be their pool boy for many blessing and privileges.

[bahboo]

21. shut this goddamn shithole down...

[Marcuse]

23. "It wasn't me."