The University of Tennessee is at the center of a lawsuit by six women who claim the school created a culture conducive to sexual assault that further punished the victims rather than the athletes behind the crimes.
"I don't feel like I can trust many people, the emotional toll that it's taken on us is crazy," said one of the women who asked not to be identified.
The women are named in the lawsuit as Jane Doe I through VI. They believe the campus culture lead to five of them being raped in the last three years, while the school continued to delay hearings until after many of the alleged rapists graduated or transferred in good standing with the team.
"The challenge here is the university has to conduct its own investigation which is a mess because you have people conducting investigations who are not in the business of conducting criminal investigations," said sports analyst and former attorney Clay Travis, speaking in Knoxville Wednesday. Travis points out that other crimes, such as robbery or murder, would be handled by local police. But because of Title IX requirements, universities are responsible for conducting an investigation when a sex assault is reported.
The suit brings up almost 50 cases or accusations dating back two decades, including when a female trainer reported then-player Peyton Manning forcibly sat on her face.
"It's almost always a one-on-one relationship by and large when you're dealing with these things and it's he-said-she said," Travis said.
The suit says former player Drae Bowles was beaten up twice by fellow football players, after driving Jane Doe IV to the hospital and encouraging her to turn in A.J. Johnson and Mike Williams for her attack. Bowles later transferred to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
"I just hope that people take it seriously and that stuff will change in the future as far as how people are educated and how sexual assault is handled on campus," said one of the women.
While almost all the women withdrew from UT, citing the hostile environment, they say they're bringing the lawsuit for a better future for female students in Knoxville. They're asking for an injunction to enforce a comprehensive sexual harassment policy on campus and call for an annual review by the UT Board of Trustees in addition to repayment of their tuition and damages.
In response to the lawsuit, attorney Bob Ramsey sent NewsChannel 5 the following statement on behalf of the university:
"Like the many other college campuses facing the challenges of sexual assault, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has devoted significant time and energy to provide a safe environment for our students, to educate and raise awareness about sexual assault, and to encourage students to come forward and report sexual assault. When the University receives a report of sexual assault, we offer care and support to the person who came forward and work to investigate and resolve the matter in a timely, thorough, and equitable manner. When warranted, the University takes disciplinary action but will not do so in a manner that violates state law or the constitutional due process rights of our students.
In the situations identified in the lawsuit filed today; the University acted lawfully and in good faith, and we expect a court to agree. Any assertion that we do not take sexual assault seriously enough is simply not true. To claim that we have allowed a culture to exist contrary to our institutional commitment to providing a safe environment for our students or that we do not support those who report sexual assault is just false. The University will provide a detailed response to the lawsuit and looks forward to doing so at the appropriate time, and in the proper manner."
Click here to read the full lawsuit.
