Women who reported gang rape by Baylor players settle with school

Two women who reported being gang raped by multiple football players in 2012 reached a financial settlement on Tuesday with Baylor University.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed and the women never filed a lawsuit. There are no details about assault, the players involved or the victims available. However, the university had previously said four gang rapes involving football players had occurred since 2011 and this settlement included one of those incidents.

The women’s attorneys and the university issued a joint statement confirming the players implicated in the sexual assaults and the athletic department personnel who were identified as having received report of the assault in 2013 are no long with the university.

“It breaks my heart that even one student would be sexually assaulted while a part of this university. I offer my sincere apologies, both personally and on behalf of the university, that we did not do more to prevent, respond to or support the care of these young women,” Baylor interim president David E. Garland said in the statement.

“Since the time of the reported assaults, Baylor has established a full-time Title IX office, created a specific Title IX policy and instituted a prevention and education program for all students, faculty and staff.”

The women’s attorney, John Clune and Chris Ford of Boulder, Colorado, also commended Baylor’s recent work in improving its handling of sexual assaults.

“We’re very glad to get these cases resolved,” Clune told Outside the Lines. “They were two of the most horrific and heartbreaking stories that we’ve ever heard. Hopefully, the settlement will help them both in their recovery and, more important, to be able to finish their education.”