A lawsuit was filed against Baylor University last week by a former alumni who claims she was raped by two football players in April 2013.
The suit also claims that 31 football players committed at least 52 acts of rape, which included five gang rapes, over a four year period. Two of the gang rapes were said to be committed by at least 10 players at one time.
The woman – using the alias Elizabeth Doe – says that after a party on April 18, 2013, hosted by one of Baylor’s star players, Shawn Oakman, former Baylor players Tre’Von Armstead and Shamycheal Chatman assaulted her. The two were previously named as suspects at the time but were not charged, prompting Doe to file suit.
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Ironically, Oakman is also facing rape allegations in an unrelated case.
Doe stated that she was intoxicated on the night in question and wasn’t even sure how she got to the players apartment. She says the university sets the stage for sexual assault by promising sex with white women as one of the perks for top football recruits.
The lawsuit claims an assistant coach once asked a high school athlete, “Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at Baylor and they love football players.”⠀⠀⠀⠀
The woman was a member of a campus group known as the Baylor Bruins. The group would host prospective athletes during visits. The lawsuit also states Baylor encouraged the Bruins to be available for sex with recruits, plus trips to strip clubs coupled with implied promises of sex, alcohol and drugs.
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“Our hearts go out to any victims of sexual assault,” David E. Garland, the interim university president, said in a statement. “Any assault involving members of our campus community is reprehensible and inexcusable. Baylor University has taken unprecedented actions that have been well-documented in response to the issue of past and alleged sexual assaults involving our campus community.”
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According to the suit, Chatman was accused of sexual assault in a prior incident but alleges the university failed to do anything besides pay for the accusers education in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.
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In 2016, Baylor – the nation’s largest Baptist university – fired football coach Art Briles and school President Ken Starr stepped down.
