PHILADELPHIA — A student is suing Moravian College after she allegedly was raped by another student and reported the alleged attack to college workers, but was not immediately told to make an official complaint.
Jane Doe filed a complaint on Aug. 28, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, against the college and Abdulrahman Alghamdi, a student who allegedly raped her.
She claims intentional infliction of emotional distress after her alleged attacker was allowed by the college to continue to live in the same housing and to attend the same classes they had in common after the alleged rape occurred, according to court documents.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Aug. 28, 2016, she attended an event known as "Midnight Oasis" on the campus of Moravian College in Bethlehem, when she was raped by Alghamdi after going to his dorm room.
The plaintiff also alleges that she reported the rape to a residential assistant who "was present and took no action whatsoever despite the screams and protestations of the Plaintiff to inquire, investigate, notify security, or even simply knock on the sexual abuser's door in order to render aid to the Plaintiff," according to court documents.
She further alleges that after notifying the school of the alleged attack, the school did not immediately encourage the plaintiff to file an official report of sexual assault against the defendant, which caused her emotional distress and not to attend her classes, according to court documents.
The plaintiff also alleges that the college failed to provide a secure system of supervision and proper training of its employees.
She claims a hostile collegiate environment, after the college allegedly refused later to remove Alghamdi from the same classes the two attended, despite her request, according to court documents.
The plaintiff holds Moravian College responsible because it allegedly failed to appropriately respond to further harassment by her attacker as well as his friends and failed its duty under Title IX to prevent future harassment and contact, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for an amount in excess of $150,000, together with punitive damages. She is represented by John R. Vivian, Jr. Adam D. Meshkov and Eleanor M. Breslin of n/a in Easton.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 5:18-cv-03676-EGS