A former student is suing Duke University over the way they handled her 2007 rape case and says the university tricked her into withdrawal from the school, according to the Herald-Sun.
The student, Katharine Rouse, said that the administration was not supportive of her case and that Duke’s Vice President for Student Affairs created a “hostile environment” for her on campus after commenting to the media about the attack. The question of how universities are handling sexual assault and abuse cases has been an ongoing debate.
The attack happened in February of 2007, when Michael Jermaine Burch raped the then-18-year-old student at a Duke frat party. Since then, Burch has pleaded two counts of attempted rape and is in prison.
Duke said that the suit lacks merit because the three-year statute of limitations has passed and denied Rouse’s allegations. They also claim that Rouse voluntarily transferred, to Hofstra University.
Last month, the suit moved to federal court. Read more here.
