TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A University of South Florida doctoral student is suing the Tampa school, saying administrators are allowing a man who raped her to continue attending class with her.
The woman’s attorney, Michael Dolce, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday. The suit says the school is violating the woman’s Title IX protections by forcing her to endure the sexually harassing and hostile atmosphere of her attacker’s presence.
The suit says the woman was sexually assaulted in November 2016. She reported the attack to a professor several weeks later. The attacker was charged in March with violating the school’s code of conduct related to non-consensual sexual contact and given deferred suspension.
The school said the woman withdrew an appeal to request stronger restrictions against her attacker and never filed a criminal complaint.
Dolce says the school encouraged his client to withdraw her appeal and denied later requests for help.
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