Louisiana Universities Accused of Mishandling Rape Allegations - Lawsuit Proceeds to Trial
Louisiana Universities Accused of Mishandling Rape Allegations - Lawsuit Proceeds to Trial
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A lawsuit is moving forward against multiple Louisiana universities for failing to protect students from an alleged serial sexual predator.
The plaintiff is one of six women who accused Victor Daniel Silva of sexual misconduct between 2014 and 2020.
The lawsuit accuses the University of Louisiana system, Louisiana Tech University, and the LSU system of knowing about sexual assault reports against Silva but failing to take appropriate action, allowing him to shuffle between campuses and victimize several female students with few consequences.
U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson has ruled that the accusations are credible enough to go to trial.
The lawsuit alleges that the universities violated Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at federally funded institutions, and failed to comply with a state law that requires public universities to establish a uniform policy to notify one another of sexual assaults reported on their campuses.
Louisiana Universities Facing Lawsuit Over Alleged Failure to Protect Students from Sexual Predator
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - A lawsuit that accuses multiple Louisiana universities of failing to protect students from an alleged serial sexual predator is moving forward to trial, following a ruling by a federal judge.
On Monday, January 25th, U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson ruled that the accusations made by the plaintiff, who is one of six women who accused Victor Daniel Silva of sexual misconduct between 2014 and 2020, were credible enough to proceed to trial. The plaintiff has filed a lawsuit against the University of Louisiana system, which includes the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Louisiana Tech University, and the LSU system.
The lawsuit claims that the three universities knew about sexual assault reports against Silva but failed to take appropriate action, allowing him to shuffle between campuses and victimize several female students with few consequences. The university systems had moved to dismiss the lawsuit, but Judge Jackson found enough merit to let the suit proceed.
"Federal law requires publicly funded universities to immediately and effectively investigate reports of sexual assault to eliminate the threat and prevent its reoccurrence," Judge Jackson wrote in his ruling. "Louisiana law requires coordinated intervention among public universities and local law enforcement to identify and remove sexual offenders from college campuses. Yet, despite five alleged assaults, a rape arrest, and banishment from LSU, Silva was not suspended, expelled, criminally prosecuted, or even meaningfully investigated. Instead, in the face of new allegations, Silva was allowed to transfer repeatedly among LSU, UL Lafayette, and Louisiana Tech.”
This case has been closely watched by legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual assault, as it shines a light on the mishandling of sexual assault allegations on college campuses. The trial is expected to begin later this year.
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