University of Nebraska Accused of Mishandling Sexual Harassment Complaints in Lawsuit Filed by 9 Women

Nine women have come forward with a lawsuit against the University of Nebraska alleging the school mishandled their complaints stemming from sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents. In the lawsuit, which was filed at the end of July in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, the women accused the school of violating provisions of the Title IX gender equity law, racial discrimination, negligence, and lack of due process [Source: ESPN]. One of the women, identified as former Nebraska volleyball player Capri Davis, says after two Nebraska football players grabbed her buttocks at a party, she reported the incident to the school’s Title IX office which is responsible for investigating sexual misconduct complaints.

The two males were also accused of grabbing Davis’ friend’s buttocks as well.

Davis said that after reporting the incident, the office “found the players not responsible for the alleged groping incident.” Although ESPN says the names of two players are not listed in the lawsuit, there is a description of them which “indicates the players were Katerian LeGrone and Andre Hunt.” In 2019, Davis’ friend also informed university investigators that she had been raped back in 2018 by LeGrone and another teammate. That complaint was also dismissed after the school determined that “no finding was being made against the two players.”

Although Davis and her friend’s complaints resulted in no disciplinary action being taken against the two football players, they eventually were charged with first-degree sexual assault. ESPN says the charges stem from a report involving a different female student who had contacted the Lincoln Police Department in August 2019. The woman told police that the two men had sex with her without her consent. After the school was made aware of the incident, the Title IX office “found LeGrone and Hunt responsible for sexual misconduct last fall” which resulted in them being expelled in April.

The source says their criminal cases are still pending.

Another woman included in the lawsuit says that in August 2015, when she was a 17-year-old freshman at the school, she was raped by a male athlete in a dorm room. The woman says that after the incident, she received threatening text messages from the male athlete and his teammate. After the woman reported the incident to school officials and law enforcement in January 2016, neither report resulted in any action being taken. Because the incident made it difficult for the woman to “keep up academically,” she attempted to withdraw from a class. After the school made it particularly difficult for her to do so, she later received an email that notified her that she had been “academically dismissed” from the university.

Aside from highlighting various sexual harassment incidents the nine women claim were mishandled by the university, the lawsuit goes on to accuse the school of “[handling] sexual misconduct complaints against student-athletes in a different manner than how other complaints were handled.”

Were you sexually harassed by someone at work or school?

If someone made unwelcome sexual advances toward you, requested sexual favors, or engaged in other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature, USAttorneys.com is here to get you connected with a Nebraska sexual harassment lawyer who you can discuss the incident with. A sexual harassment attorney can help you understand your legal rights as well as what can be done to ensure justice is served.