A new report by investigators at USA Today claims Louisiana State University officials may have mishandled sexual misconduct allegations against students, including several top athletes.

On November 16, 2020, USA Today reported:

“Officials in the university’s athletic department and broader administration repeatedly have ignored complaints against abusers, denied victims’ requests for protections and subjected them to further harm by known perpetrators. . . .”

In a statement, LSU said it does not tolerate sexual violence of any form. 

“We are unwavering in our commitment to respond promptly to any reports of misconduct, to investigate these reports in a manner that is fair and equitable, to support victims of sexual assault, and to protect the privacy of our students according to the law,” the statement said. “Putting an end to sexual assault is an institutional priority, and we are constantly working to achieve that goal.”

The Clery Act is a federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose campus security information including crime statistics for the campus and surrounding areas. All institutional officials with significant responsibility for campus and student activities are referred to in the Clery Act as a Campus Security Authority (CSA).  All CSA’s have reporting obligations under the Clery Act.

These are only allegations and have not at this time been proven in court.

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Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice fighting for survivors of sex abuse.  Our former prosecutors have extensive experience representing victims of all ages.

  • We have been court-appointed as Interim Co-Class Counsel to represent former students of the University of Michigan who were victims of sexual misconduct by Dr. Robert E. Anderson, former director of University Health Service, and a former athletic team physician, who worked at the University of Michigan from 1968 until his retirement in 2003.
  • Sauder Schelkopf, and co-counsel, recently reached a $215 million settlement on behalf of female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the University of Southern California accused of sexual misconduct since the 1990s.
  • We have represented survivors of clergy sexual abuse in dioceses throughout the country.
  • We have a class action lawsuit pending on behalf of males who were victims of sexual misconduct by Dr. Richard Strauss, the Ohio State team doctor, while they were students and student-athletes at Ohio State University.

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