A Harvard graduate filed a lawsuit against the University claiming she was sexually assaulted and then coerced to reside in the same quarters as her attacker. The victim stated that she not only felt like the school did not do its job to protect her but they also elicited an environment to keep crimes of a sexual nature under wraps.
“The main thing that I want to see is accountability,” said the victim, Alyssa Leader.
The 22-year-old felt inclined to take legal action after communicating with other students who were in similar situations and finding out that the school failed to take proper recourse in those situations.
The leader said that after the incident, her grades dropped and she suffered emotional distress.
“No one should have to live in fear of their safety. I should not have had to live with my abuser. They should have done something to separate us” she said.
According to the lawsuit, the school had a responsibility to take action toward any complaints dealing with sexual assaults. The school also had the ability to amend housing, classes, and jobs but they chose not to.
The suit went into detail explaining the relationship Leader had with the attacker who she shared a relationship with at one time. After the attacker, referred to as John Doe 1, sexually assaulted and harassed her, he became violent by slamming doors and pushing furniture as a result of her not giving in to his advances.
The leader did not feel safe by the misconduct John Doe 1 exerted toward her and she reported it numerous times to the University authorities. Even after she ended the relationship, the harassing behavior still continued not only by John Doe 1 but also by his new girlfriend who showed up at her job on various occasions.
An attorney representing the Leader explained why the plaintiff chose to file suit against the school instead of her harasser saying it was because of a “larger issue” at hand. He [the lawyer] believes that the school chose to ignore the obligation they had to protect the student but instead chose to guard the school’s reputation so the University would not risk the loss of funding.
Have you been the victim of sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace?
You don’t have to be a student to recognize the rights you possess when it comes to employment laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that protects employees from being discriminated against, sexually harassed, wrongful terminations and other misconduct in the workplace. If your employment rights have been violated, then you should immediately contact an employment discrimination attorney at the employment law firm of Derek Smith Law Group. No one deserves to work in a hostile job environment. Call us at 800-807-2209 for a free consultation.
