MANHATTAN — On Nov. 26, plaintiffs Sara Weckhorst and Tessa Farmer permanently dismissed their federal Title IX lawsuits against Kansas State University, according to a media release from the school.
The university provided no monetary payment or other form of compensation to either plaintiff.
The plaintiffs' complaints filed with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education based on the same allegations were separately dismissed by that agency in 2018 with no findings against K-State.
This result affirms K-State's long-stated position that it responded appropriately and in compliance with Title IX when Weckhorst and Farmer each reported they were sexually assaulted off campus. Consistent with K-State's longstanding practice of helping students, administrators dedicated extensive time and effort to offer a range of support and assistance to both of them.
More information on K-State's policies, procedures and programs for responding to reports of sexual misconduct is available from K-State's Office of Institutional Equity and Center for Advocacy, Response, and Education. Helping students will always remain a K-State priority.
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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Two women who are suing Kansas State University for refusing to investigate complaints that they were raped off-campus are getting support from the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education say in a court brief that the university is incorrect in its conclusion that it isn’t responsible for what happens at off-campus fraternity houses.
Sara Weckhorst of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and Tessa Farmer of Overland Park have filed separate federal lawsuits accusing Kansas State of violating Title IX, the gender discrimination law that protects students from sexual violence and harassment.
The Associated Press generally doesn’t name sexual assault victims, but the two women have gone public with their case to stand up for victims of rape on college campuses.