University, College and High School Teacher & Coach Abuse

Florida Sexual Assaults on High School and College Campuses | Gainesville, Orlando, Miami, Boca Raton and Tallahassee Sex Assault Victims Attorneys at Whittel & Melton

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Helping Victims of Sexual Assault throughout Florida High Schools and College Campuses

Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment happen all too frequently on high school and college campuses throughout the United States. And while high school and college campuses are supposed to be safe places that foster learning and creativity, the sad truth is that sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual violence occur at an alarming rate. Students that are subjected to sexual violence face an uphill battle – their physical well being is not only compromised, but so is their ability to learn and continue with their education. Survivors of sexual assault on campus are more likely to drop out of school, develop self-destructive behaviors, and are also more likely to commit suicide.

Statistics Show Alarming Problem of Sexual Assault in High Schools

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), One in every 3 to 4 girls, and one in 5 to 7 boys are sexually assaulted before they even leave high school. While the cases the media publicizes about rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment in high schools usually involve adults (teacher, coach, counselor, school staff member, etc.) harming students, there are many incidents that involve students being attacked by other students. According to an Associated Press study, for every sexual assault reported on a school campus by an adult to a student, there were seven student on student sexual assaults on campus. Sexual assault can happen anywhere on campus – in a bathroom, on a playground, on a school bus, an empty classroom, locker rooms, and even school hallways and closets.

According to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, for the 2015-2016 school year (most recent statistics available), there were 9,300 cases of sexual assault (other than rape) in America’s K-12 school systems reported. There were 400 cases of rape or attempted rape reported. There were a total of 135,200 allegations of harassment or bullying reported for the same school year, with 41% involving sexual harassment.

Recent Cases of High School Sexual Assault

The following media stories are just a few of the reported incidents that highlight the problem of sexual harassment and assault in high schools:

• A Tampa Bay high school basketball coach is accused of sexual misconduct with students
• A high school student in Georgia was expelled after reporting a sexual assault
• A Michigan high school accused of mishandling numerous sexual assault cases
• In Maryland, a high school student was convicted of raping classmate in hallway in 2014
• A 2012 case of sexual assault in Steubenville, Ohio is highlighted in a documentary on Netflix called “Roll Red Roll”

Sexual Assaults on College and University Campuses

According to RAINN, college-aged women between 18-24 are at an increased risk of being sexually attacked. To put things into a better perspective, for every robbery that takes place on campus, there are 2 sexual attacks. Among all undergraduate and graduate students in the U.S., 11.2% have experienced rape or sexual assault. Women represent 8.8% of this group and men make up the other 2.2%.

Cases and Lawsuits of Sexual Assaults on College Campuses

The following are just a few of the many cases where college students were the victims of sexual assaults on campus:

• The University of Colorado settled a Title IX sex assault and harassment case for $2.5 million where they failed to prevent football players and recruits from committing numerous sexual assaults
• The University of South Florida is investigating reports of fraternity members sexually assaulting students on campus
• Two former Vanderbilt University football players accused of raping unconscious woman
• Dickinson College in Pennsylvania is facing a federal lawsuit over Title IX Violations handling sexual assault allegations
• Michigan State University Title IX Lawsuit over sexual assault dismissed
• Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and the Penn State sex abuse scandal

Title IX and Sexual Assaults on High School and College Campuses

Under federal law, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 strictly prohibits sexual discrimination in schools – this includes high schools, colleges, and universities. Sexual assault and sexual harassment are also covered under Title IX.

High schools, colleges, and universities are absolutely required to have protocols in place for handling any cases of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. As soon as a school is notified that a student has been the victim of a sexual attack, they must take appropriate action to launch an investigation into the matter so that they can stop any violence or harassment and prevent it from happening in the future.

In order to successfully prove that the high school or college campus is liable for a sexual assault committed by another student or staff member, the victim needs to show that:

1. The school knew or should have know that the student was a victim of sexual harassment or a sexual assault
2. The school should have been able to predict that the crime of sexual harassment or sexual assault would happen again
3. The school failed to take the necessary and reasonable steps to stop the sexual harassment or sexual assault from happening

We are Here to Help You Fight Back After Being the Victim of a Campus Sexual Assault

Our Florida Sexual Assault Victims Attorneys are here to offer free and confidential consultations to those who have survived sexual harassment or sexual assaults on campus. We want to hold your attacker and the campus the school that let this happen liable for their actions.

We are proud to represent victims on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe us nothing for any legal services we provide you unless we recover a financial award on your behalf. We welcome you to contact us today online or call us 24/7 at 866-608-5529 for a free consultation where we can answer any questions you may have.

We represent victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment throughout the state of Florida, including the counties of Hernando, Citrus, Pasco, Pinellas, Lake, Sumter, Marion, Alachua, Levy, Hillsborough, and Palm Beach.