MONTGOMERY, Ala. (CN) - After a Faulkner University soccer coach raped a student, the Christian college covered for him and expelled his victim, the woman claims in court.
The woman, L, sued Faulkner University, women's soccer coach Jeff Ireland, university President Billy Hilyer and five other university officials, in Federal Court.
Montgomery-based Faulkner says on its Internet home page: "The mission of Faulkner University is to glorify God through education of the whole person, emphasizing integrity of character in a caring, Christian environment where every individual matters every day."
In her complaint, L, a native of Jamaica, claims that while she was a student and soccer player at Faulkner, Ireland began an inappropriate relationship with her.
She claims Ireland greeted her "with a hand shake" when she arrived at the Atlanta airport in 2010, and began calling her dorm room shortly after she arrived on campus, asking her to meet him for long conversations in the parking lot, at different times of the day and night.
She says Ireland bought her a cell phone, gave her money, repeatedly told her she was beautiful and forced a kiss on her, making her "afraid and confused."
"Plaintiff avers that one afternoon as she was coming from the café she saw a group of her teammates laughing and talking, [and] when she got where they were she heard them talking about some dirty underwear they spotted in Coach Ireland's car and about the secret relationship he is having with ... a player," the complaint states. [That player, named in the complaint, is not the plaintiff.]
"The plaintiff avers that she became very suspect [sic] about Coach Ireland. Shortly thereafter, he called and asked to pick her up and when she got into the car he had a bottle of Ciroc with ice and cups saying it's for her and he wanted them to drink together. She refused to drink with him and told him she will take it to her room because she was writing a paper before she came to see him and she needed to return and complete it. While sitting in the car for about 30-45 minutes talking, Coach Ireland told her how folks are at Faulkner University, that they have not visited other states or other countries, they do not understand how to interact with others from different countries, unlike he who has been to Jamaica and other countries across the world. In the context of this conversation, plaintiff avers that Coach Ireland propositioned her for sexual intercourse. Plaintiff avers that she rebuffed his sexual advancement and told him it was time for her to go. After she closed the car door he put the liquor outside the window and handed it to the plaintiff. Plaintiff avers that it is against Faulkner University policies, rules and regulations to have alcohol on campus."
L says she tried to avoid Ireland, but he controlled her fate at the university.
She says she did not succumb to his advances, but he continued to pursue her and eventually raped her.
