Ruling says students may be able to sue universities in sexual assault cases

The Court of Appeals for the state of Washington has recently allowed a victim of on-campus… The Court of Appeals for the state of Washington has recently allowed a victim of on-campus rape to sue the University of Washington for damages – a decision that could soon influence how damages are recovered for rape and sexual assault on any public campus, including the University of Pittsburgh.

The court ruled last month that since alleged mistreatment of a rape case by university officials caused the alleged victim to feel sexually discriminated against, she could seek civil damages against the university based on violation of her Federal Title IX rights.

The plaintiff in the case claimed that a member of the school’s football team raped her during the same time in which she worked for the team as an equipment manager.

When she confronted football team officials about the incident, they neglected to tell her about any judicial action she could have taken as a rape victim and only suggested she attend a few mediation conferences.

The only punishments suggested for the alleged perpetrator were counseling and community service. The court ruled that the university’s actions constituted “deliberate indifference” to the reported rape and caused the victim enough distress and emotional harm to deny her the enjoyment of employment and educational opportunities on campus.

Because Title IX legislation says, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex