KANSAS CITY, Kan. (CN) — Kansas State University refused to investigate two women's rapes at fraternity parties because they happened off campus, the women claim in lawsuits involving behavior that is gaining increased national attention.
Sara Weckhorst and Tessa Farmer sued separate but similar federal lawsuits against Kansas State on Wednesday.
Both say they were raped after getting drunk at a fraternity party, and that Kansas State violated its own policy by not investigating. They say their reports should have automatically triggered an investigation under Title IX and the school's student conduct policy.
Instead, they have "been left to languish on campus in fear and under the constant risk of encountering the unpunished, perhaps emboldened" student-assailants, they say.
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich drew national attention a week ago — and criticism — by responding to a college student's question about sexual violence by saying, "Don't go to parties where there's a lot of alcohol. OK? Don't do that."
Weckhorst says she was attacked on April 26, 2014, during her freshman year. She says she went to a fraternity party at Pillsbury Crossing, not far from campus, blacked out from drinking, then a fraternity member named J.F. took her into his truck and raped her.
J.F. then drove her to his fraternity house and raped her again, Weckhorst says, then left her in the room naked and unconscious and went downstairs and rejoined the party.
"Several hours later, at about 10:00 p.m., Sara awoke from blackout, not knowing where she was or how she got there," the complaint states. "A man she did not know was raping her from behind. She later learned the man was J.G., a K-State sophomore and a member of the fraternity. Still very intoxicated and confused, Sara made her way out of the bed and to a nearby patio. J.G. followed her to the patio and raped her again."
Weckhorst says she cried uncontrollably when J.F. told her that two fraternity brothers had sex with her on the same day. She got her clothes and left.
"Sara later received a text from a K-State student stating 'heard you got fucked at the lake,' and rumors about Sara, and upon information and belief photographs and videos of her, were posted on social media and widely spread," the complaint states.
Weckhorst says she reported the rape to Kansas State investigator Ameerah McBride on May 5, 2014.
"Ms. McBride delivered shocking news: K-State would do nothing about the rapes or the two student-assailants because the rapes occurred off-campus," the complaint states. "Though the student-assailants violated the K-State Student Conduct Code, Sections 3(A)(3), (10), and possibly others, for which 'disciplinary sanctions will be imposed,' K-State would not investigate or take action to hold the student-assailants responsible, remove them from campus, sanction them, or protect Sara and the rest of the student population from their presence on campus in any way."
Farmer's story is similar: raped at a fraternity party on March 6, 2015 after drinking a large amount of margaritas, beer and wine.
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