A former Colorado State University student has sued a former fraternity member alleging he sexually assaulted her at an October 2024 party.
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he → sue → party
The civil complaint alleges sexual assault, false imprisonment and is seeking a jury trial and compensatory damages, including expenses related to the woman’s transfer from the Fort Collins university.
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complaint → allege → university
The filing was made earlier this month in Larimer County.
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filing → make → County
The civil lawsuit also accuses the Phi Delta Theta fraternity of negligence.
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lawsuit → accuse → negligence
Colorado State University is not named as a defendant.
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University → name → defendant
Colorado State investigated the allegations and suspended the fraternity member.
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State → investigate → member
According to media reports, police were contacted within 24 hours of the incident and conducted their own investigation but closed the case without referring it to prosecutors, and no criminal charges were brought.
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charges → accord → prosecutors
The alleged assault occurred about two weeks before the October 19, 2024, incident at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, that has drawn national attention as the “Cornell 7” case.
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that → allege → case
In that civil lawsuit, a Jane Doe alleges that seven Chi Phi members participated in a sexual assault at their fraternity house after she was plied with alcohol and drugs.
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she → allege → alcohol
The men have not been criminally charged and all have denied wrongdoing.
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all → charge → wrongdoing
The civil complaint filed in Colorado describes an October 4 party where the woman sought water from a Phi Delta Theta member, 9News reported.
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9News → file → member
She had consumed alcohol earlier at her sorority, according to the filing, but drank none at the party.
uncertain
She → consume → party
She alleges that the drink she received, which was presented as water, left her feeling on the verge of unconsciousness.
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which → allege → unconsciousness
Her request to return to her sorority was not followed, the complaint says.
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complaint → return → sorority
She was instead taken to Phi Delta Theta’s fraternity house.
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She → take → house
The lawsuit alleges that the defendant sexually assaulted her there while she was “incapacitated, unconscious, and/or fading in and out of consciousness,” according to 9News.
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she → allege → 9News
The woman was then taken outside the house and instructed which direction she should leave, according to police reports obtained by CBS News.
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she → take → News
She later said she had struggled to remember what exactly happened, but thought she had been assaulted.
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she → say → ?
She was examined at a hospital the following day and police were contacted.
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police → examine → hospital
A toxicology report detected evidence of Zoloft and THC in the plaintiff’s system.
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report → detect → system
Phi Delta Theta later removed the defendant from its chapter.
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Theta → remove → chapter
“Sexual assault is abhorrent and has no place on college campuses or in Phi Delta Theta,” the fraternity said in a statement to a local outlet.
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fraternity → have → outlet
“It violates everything our fraternity stands for, and anyone who commits it forfeits the privilege of membership.
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who → violate → membership
That’s why we removed the member in October 2024, and as a result, he moved out of the chapter house.”
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he → ’ → house
CSU also investigated the case.
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CSU → investigate → case
The university found the student responsible for violating its policy prohibiting sexual assault and subsequently suspended him, according to 9News.
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student → find → 9News
He was barred from seeking readmission until he completed certain requirements, including a behavioral health assessment.
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he → bar → assessment
The university denied the student’s appeal in September.
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university → deny → September
“Because the incident occurred off campus, any criminal investigation fell under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement rather than CSU Police,” a university spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → occur → enforcement
The Larimer County District Attorney's Office said local police spoke with prosecutors but did not request criminal charges.
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police → say → charges
“Often during investigations, law enforcement will reach out to the District Attorney's Office to discuss additional investigative avenues they could pursue to further the case," the office said in a statement provided to CBS News.
uncertain
office → reach → News
"Fort Collins Police Services did that with regard to this investigation, but the case was never presented to our office, nor did they request that criminal charges be filed.”
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charges → present → office
The plaintiff’s attorney said in a statement that their client is eager to present her case.
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client → say → case
“Coming forward has taken great courage, and she is seeking accountability for what happened to her," the statement, provided to 9News, said.
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statement → come → 9News
"She hopes her case will lead to meaningful policies and procedures that make fraternity events safer and protect the students who attend them.
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who → hop → them
We ask that the media respect her privacy.”
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media → ask → privacy
The Independent has contacted CSU for comment.
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Independent → contact → comment
After Cornell’s Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who initially declined to pursue charges over the alleged rape, reopened the investigation.
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who → file → investigation
New York Governor Kathy Hochul subsequently reassigned the case to state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
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Hochul → reassign → prosecutor
It has been described as an "active criminal investigation."
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It → describe → investigation
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
