OU Claims Immunity, Files To Dismiss Suit In Sexual Assault Scandal

Oklahoma University filed to dismiss a lawsuit this week brought by a graduate accusing school officials of negligence after alleged sexual assault at the hands of a former university vice president. The request for dismissal was filed Tuesday on the grou

Thursday, December 5th 2019, 8:40 am

By: Grant Hermes


Oklahoma University filed to dismiss a lawsuit this week brought by a graduate accusing school officials of negligence after alleged sexual assault at the hands of a former university vice president.

The request for dismissal was filed Tuesday on the ground that state tort laws shield the school and the state from claims like the one being brought by OU grad Levi Hilliard.

Read Related: OU Graduate Files Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Former VP Tripp Hall 

Hilliard is accusing Hall of escalating sexual assault over the span of a year starting in 2018, and is suing Hall, OU and the Board of Regents and the State for damages. He alleges OU officials and the Board acted negligently and didn't properly train employees on how to report sexual misconduct.

University lawyers say the suit should be thrown out because under state law the universities can't be held liable for claims of negligence or failure of duty. They also say Hilliard filed his claim too late, saying because Hilliard didn't file his claim until the summer of 2019, more than a year after the initial alleged assault in early 2018 his claim isn’t valid. 

Neither Hilliard nor OU officials were immediately available to comment on this latest update.

Hilliard does not mention former OU President David Boren in his allegations. Boren is still under investigation by a grand jury. There’s been no word on when or if the grand jury will return its findings on those allegations.

Read Related: Former OU President David Boren Accused Of 'Serious Misconduct'

 

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