University of Oregon settles rape allegation lawsuit
The University of Oregon has settled a rape allegation lawsuit filed by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by three Ducks basketball players, according to the Associated Press.
The university has agreed to pay the 18-year-old woman $800,000 and will also waive her tuition, housing and student fees for four years, according to the AP. The woman dismissed all claims against Oregon on Tuesday, a week after dismissing her claims against basketball coach Dana Altman.
The woman sued Oregon in January, alleging the university was negligent, violated her civil rights and privacy, and deprived her of her right to an education. She also claimed Altman knew that Brandon Austin, one of the players accused, had previously been accused of sexual assault while he played for Providence and continued recruiting him anyway.
The suit also alleged the school did not immediately discipline the players—Austin, Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson—because it would have adversely affected the team's performance. All three players were eventually suspended and transferred to other schools.
Oregon will now “pursue a policy change requiring all transfer applicants to report any disciplinary history at prior schools,” according to the AP.
In December 2014, employees at the school’s counseling center released the woman's entire case file to the school’s legal office without her consent. In response, the state of Oregon passed stronger confidentiality laws in June.
