Lawyer: Baylor dissuaded accusers via possible conduct violations

A lawyer representing women suing Baylor for the school’s conduct towards their sexual assault accusations said the school told accusers their parents could be told of potential code of conduct violations if the women came forward with their accusations.

Chad Dunn told the Associated Press that “A number of victims were told that if they made a report of rape, their parents would be informed of the details of where they were and what they were doing.”

Six women have filed a civil suit vs. the school regarding a cavalier attitude towards sexual assault allegations. The lawsuit was filed this spring as allegations of Baylor’s handling of sexual assault reports became public.

As a Baptist university, Baylor has a code of conduct for all students. The code states “Baylor will be guided by the biblical understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity. This it is expected that Baylor students, faculty and staff will engage in behaviors consistent with this understanding of human sexuality.
Part of that code of conduct regarding drugs and alcohol states that “Baylor University policy prohibits the unlawful manufacture, possession, use, sale, transfer, or purchase of a controlled substance or another dangerous drug such as a controlled substance analogue (designer drug) on or off the campus. It is also a violation of University policy for anyone to possess, use, or be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage on the campus or at a University-related activity off campus”

Per the AP, part of the recommendations from the Pepper Hamilton law firm’s investigation into Baylor’s actions included an amnesty provision for sexual conduct offenses. Alcohol and drug offenses deemed to be minor in nature were amnesty-eligible in 2015.

According to the report, “two women [in the suit] said they were pushed to accept alcohol conduct violations when they reported their assaults, or feared sexual conduct violations if they did.” One of the women said she was threatened with punishment for an off-campus alcohol violation regarding her accusation while the school said it couldn’t help her because her alleged sexual assault came off campus.

Two former football players are serving prison sentences for rape convictions and another, former defensive end Shawn Oakman, is currently facing sexual assault charges in addition to other reported accusations of sexual and domestic assault by members of the football team.

Coach Art Briles was fired along with two staffers after the Pepper Hamilton investigation revealed members of the football program weren’t following university protocol regarding sexual assault accusations. President and chancellor Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw also resigned.

One of the fired staffers has petitioned for the release of the full Pepper Hamilton investigation – which Baylor has said was an oral report – as he claims he was fired without much explanation.