Raped Or Sexually Assaulted On Campus? 4 Ways Your School Might Be Liable

Have you been raped or sexually assaulted on a college campus? Oftentimes, people in this situation assume that their only recourse is to seek criminal punishment of their perpetrators. In reality, though, victims of campus rape or sexual assault may be able to sue their school in civil court for compensation for their pain and suffering. Read on to learn 4 ways your school may be liable for your damages.

They Misrepresented Themselves

Did you choose the college you attend or attended based on their boasting of a safe school environment? If so, and you were raped or sexually assaulted on campus, you may have a civil case against the school. When Daisy Tackett from Kansas University was researching her college options, she was lured by Kansas University's promises of safety. Unfortunately, she learned that those promises were false when she was raped by a college football player shortly after enrolling.

Daisy currently has a case against Kansas University in which the school is being accused of false advertising. She's shooting for $75,000 in a civil lawsuit against the college in an effort to be compensated for her tuition and housing costs.

They Failed To Screen Faculty

Your school can be held accountable for any injury you sustain as a result of their negligence. Sexual offenders are not allowed to work at educational institutes, yet they are sometimes hired due to inadequate background checks or lack of background checks altogether. If your school failed to properly screen faculty members before allowing them to intermingle with students, and one of those faculty members went on to sexually assault or rape a student, the school is likely accountable for the crime.

They Failed To Act Accordingly

Likewise, a school has a duty to protect their students by investigating any instances of crime that happen on campus. If one or more sexual assault complaints have been brought against a student, then the school should investigate those complaints as to protect other students on campus. If the person who raped you or sexually assaulted you has previously been reported to school officials for similar occurrences and the school didn't take the necessary steps to investigate the claims, then they may be liable for the personal damages you sustained in the attack. 

They Denied You Proper Security

Did or does your school have a rule that you can't install any special locks on your dorm room door because school officials need to be able to access your room? If so and somebody broke into your dorm room and raped or sexually assaulted you, you likely have a civil case against your school.

One woman, Juli Bliskey, from Houston, Texas decided to sue her apartment complex manager after they refused to allow her to install a lock on her door to protect herself. After their refusal, a criminal broke into the woman's house and raped her. The courts sided with Ms. Blinskey, rewarding her $17 million dollars in damages. Your school had every bit as much of a duty to protect you as Juli Blinskey's apartment complex manager did, so if you requested to make your dorm more secure before your attack and were refused, you've got a civil case against your school.

Oftentimes, victims of rape and sexual assault think that the most they can do is seek punishment for their assailants through a criminal lawsuit. In reality, though, they're entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering they sustained during and after the ordeal. If you were raped or sexually assaulted on a college campus, you very well may have a civil lawsuit against your school. Contact a personal injury lawyer from a firm like Vaughan & Vaughan to discuss the intricacies of your case and determine whether or not you school's negligence led to your being victimized.