Student sues Christian university in South Carolina for negligence claiming she was expelled for drinking after telling officials she had been raped by a football player at a party
- A female student, identified as Jane Roe, is suing Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina
- In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Roe claimed she was thrown out of school for drinking alcohol after she told officials she had been raped while drunk
- The woman alleged she had been sexually assaulted by a football player after she attended a party at nearby Furman University
- She claimed the athlete, John Doe, had plied her with alcohol and drugs
- When she reported the assault, she was reprimanded for drinking and expelled
A former student at a Christian university in South Carolina is suing the school for negligence, claiming she was expelled for drinking after telling officials she had been raped while intoxicated.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Roe, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Bob Jones University and Furman University, both in Greenville, WYFF4 reported.
Roe, who had been attending Bob Jones, a private Christian liberal arts school, claimed she was raped by a Furman University football player after attending a party at the campus in October.
She later reported the assault to campus officials only to be reprimanded for drinking, which is strictly prohibited at Bob Jones, and later expelled, she claimed.
A student at Bob Jones University, a Christian liberal arts school in Greenville, South Carolina, says she was expelled after she claimed she was raped while intoxicated
‘Bob Jones made the decision to expel the plaintiff without investigating the allegations against her, conducting any type of fact-finding investigation, or holding any type of hearing,’ the lawsuit states.
She is now seeking monetary damages claiming negligence and recklessness by both schools.
According to the lawsuit, Roe had attended the party where a Furman football player, identified as John Doe, plied her with alcohol and marijuana before having sex with her without her consent.
The athlete was also alleged to have taken video of parts of the sexual encounter and sharing it with other people.
‘Doe then negligently and recklessly engaged in sexual intercourse with the plaintiff when a reasonable person would have known that the plaintiff was unable to consent,’ the lawsuit states.
Roe and her friend reported the assault to Furman Police officers while expressing concern that they would be in trouble if the university learned they had been drinking.
Jane Roe, who had been attending Bob Jones, a private Christian liberal arts school, claimed she was raped by a Furman University (stock image) football player after attending a party at the campus in October
Despite this, one of the responding officers, identified as Trevor Whitfield, a Bob Jones alum, allegedly chastised the girls for consuming alcohol, and reported them to university officials.
Whitfield also allegedly told them they could ‘either go to the hospital or go to jail.’
‘Not only was it out of line for Whitfield to admonish the plaintiff or anyone else for what he perceived to be a moral flaw, but the plaintiff had just been injured by the reckless conduct of Doe and traumatized by unwelcomed sex,’ the lawsuit says.
Roe and her friend were taken to a nearby hospital but she did not receive a sexual forensic exam until she returned later that day.
Roe and her mother later met with Bob Jones Dean of Women Deneen Wilson, who told them she was being expelled for drinking, the report said.
In a position statement listed on its website, the university says its has ‘taken a consistent stand for complete abstinence from the use of alcohol since our inception in 1927.’
‘Bob Jones University believes that the Christian is called to a life of growing conformity to the image of Christ and that the improper use, misuse, or abuse of alcohol and other addictive substances hinders this conformity and growth in personal holiness,’ the policy states.
Bob Jones University declined to comment on ongoing litigation when contacted by the local news station.
In a statement to WYFF4, a spokesperson for Furman University said: ‘Sexual misconduct is antithetical to the values of our community. While we can’t speak to the specifics of this lawsuit or the investigation, we can say that the Furman University Police Department works closely with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that reports of sexual misconduct are thoroughly investigated.’