A woman who reported being raped as an Indiana University student in 2022 filed a federal lawsuit against the university and IU Health.
Former IU football player Connor Delp is also named as a defendant in the complaint, filed earlier this month, as the alleged assailant. Delp was already facing criminal charges of rape and battery of the unnamed woman.
According to the federal lawsuit, IU Health Bloomington turned away the alleged victim because it didn’t have an available sexual assault examination nurse. The lawsuit says she was told to come back two days later, but eventually got help in Indianapolis.
The lawsuit says IU failed to address a 2021 allegation of sexual assault against Delp by another woman. He was suspended from IU football activities for a time but remained enrolled and played football for the Hoosiers in 2022.
The lawsuit says IU put female students at risk by allowing Delp to remain a student.
IU and IU Health declined comment. Delp’s lawyer said in a 2023 statement that Delp will vigorously defend himself in court.
The woman, called Jane Doe 1, alleges harm caused by IU and IU Health’s “intentional, knowing, deliberately indifferent, reckless and/or negligent acts and/or omissions.”
Delp was arrested and charged with rape and sexual battery against Jane Doe 1 in May 2023. Delp was dismissed from IU’s football team in January 2023. A trial date has not yet been set.
Previous coverage: Former IU football player charged with rape, battery
Jane Doe 1, an unnamed 20-year-old woman, was 18 at the time of her assault on Nov. 11, 2022. Her parents joined her as plaintiffs.
The plaintiff attempted to seek help, first finding the IU Student Health Center was closed and then going to the IU Health Bloomington emergency department. The lawsuit alleges that she waited about six hours for a sexual assault examination nurse — nurses who are trained to care for victims of sexual misconduct — before she was told to return two days later.
“Jane Doe 1 was not made aware of the standards for timeliness of sexual assault examinations, and was not provided with any instructions as to what she should or should not do related to forensic evidence collection,” the lawsuit states.
According to IU Student TV, the plaintiff traveled to Indianapolis for a sexual assault exam.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright .
