Two women have filed a lawsuit against Boise State University in Idaho claiming that the institution did not take proper action after they were sexually harassed. The suit alleges that a star track and field athlete at the school had a record of sexually harassing women students and that the university failed to take action against the individual encouraging the athlete to replicate the behavior with other women on campus.
The women claimed the university exhibited “deliberate indifference” after the male athlete harassed women athletes in front of the coaches, according to the lawsuit. One women alleges that she was raped by the male athlete and says the coach told her he couldn’t do anything about it because she had been drinking. The woman then had to attend track practice with her alleged attacker and was subjected to further harassment, according to the lawsuit.
In a statement, the university said, “While we regret that the incidents ever occurred, the university believes its action in this case, given the information it had at the time, was swift, thorough, and appropriate.”