The woman who accused Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of raping her in 2012 has filed a federal lawsuit against the university.
The woman, identified in the suit as Jane Doe, filed in federal court in Orlando on Wednesday — the same day Winston, who is not named in the suit, announced he would enter the upcoming NFL draft, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
The woman reportedly alleges FSU officials ignored her rape claim and purposefully chose not to investigate it, allowing the Heisman Trophy winner to continue playing football. She claims FSU violated two sections of the Title IX code, related to the university’s “clearly unreasonable response” to her claims and the “hostile educational environment” that was created once the incident was made public, the Democrat reported.
The complaint also alleges that another woman came forward with similar claims that Winston had sexually assaulted her, but university officials did not investigate further.
Florida State President John Thrasher told the Democrat in an emailed statement that he was “disappointed” to learn of the lawsuit.
“Evidence will show that through its confidential Victim Advocate Program, FSU did everything the plaintiff asked for,” he said. “The assertions FSU shirked its Title IX obligations are false.”
Winston was cleared of wrongdoing by FSU following a two-day hearing last month to determine whether he violated sections of the student conduct code, Fox News reported. Winston has repeatedly claimed the sex with the woman was consensual.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.