Allegations by volleyball player bring Title IX lawsuit against Baylor football

A list of allegations made by a former Baylor volleyball player led to a Title IX lawsuit against the football program and Art Briles.

The former Baylor University volleyball player who alleged she was gang raped by several football players filed a Title IX lawsuit in federal count on Tuesday. The list of allegations included in the suit contradict statements made by the university and the athletic department.

The lawsuit states that members of the Baylor football team, under then-head coach Art Briles, provided opportunities and expectations of hazing freshman players. According to an article by ESPN’s Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach, the plaintiff in the suit made damning assertions.

The suit claims that “the Baylor Football team developed a system of hazing their freshman recruits by having them bring or invite freshman females to house parties hosted by members of the football team. At these parties, the girls would be drugged and gang raped, or in the words of the football players, ‘trains’ would be run on the girls.”

As for the allegations in the lawsuit, the plaintiff asserted that the team used the activities for “bonding” and would photograph and videotape the “semi-conscious” females while players engaged in sexual activities with them. The parties are also alleged to have included dog fighting, another federal offense.

Additionally, the plaintiff stated her mother asked Baylor coaches and officials about punishment for the assaults, but never received a response. The woman was then harassed by players at volleyball practices, through phone messages and texts. The filed suit also claims that members of the team broke into her apartment.

It is clear the allegations in the case are damning to the already in-danger program. No timeline is set for further proceedings.