No consensus has been reached about how negligent Baylor might have been about sexual assaults by members of its football program in the first part of this decade, but the most recent accusations are also the most widespread yet.
Only the most Pollyannaish supporters of Baylor Bears football would believe at this point that there wasn’t a problem at the school during Art Briles’ coaching tenure with respect to sexual assaults by players. An investigation by the Pepper Hamilton law firm last summer found that football staffers intervened on behalf of players accused of sexual assaults, with the university later stating it was aware of 19 players named in such acts over a period of four years.
Those already sobering numbers might not even represent the true extent of the issues with the culture at Baylor, or more importantly, the number of victims.
The Dallas Morning News reports that one accuser has filed a new lawsuit claiming Title IX violations and negligence of a staggering number of incidents: 52 alleged acts of rape by 31 different Baylor players between 2011 and 2014.
The plaintiff, Elizabeth Doe, accuses two former players of sexual assault after they were previously accused of rape and never charged. It also specifically names Florida Atlantic offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, then an offensive assistant at Baylor, of playing up the sex available on campus as a recruiting tool.
A lawyer representing Doe also told the newspaper that while appreciative of the efforts Baylor has made to address cover-ups of sexual offenses, “what went on there was much worse than has been reported.”
Related Story: Details of Art Briles' own lawsuit against Baylor officials
A Baylor spokesperson did not answer questions from the Morning News about specific details of the suit, and the story surrounding it is still unfolding. Still, for a program that has already seen the downfall of a coach and school president and has its reputation in tatters, this is another bitter pill to swallow.