US student who claimed she was raped by ex-university basketball players speaks out publicly
News conference will be held on fourth anniversary of alleged incident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Michigan State University student is speaking publicly a year after filing a lawsuit against the school alleging that three former men's basketball players raped her in 2015 and that she was discouraged by counselling centre staff from reporting what happened.
Twenty-two-year-old Bailey Kowalski came forward in a story published by The New York Times saying she hoped other victims tell their stories.
She will hold a news conference Thursday, on the fourth anniversary of the alleged incident.
The woman and players aren't named in the suit .
It says she met them at an East Lansing bar and was taken to an off-campus apartment where they raped her.
Her lawyer, Karen Truszkowski, said Kowalski's Title IX investigation, initiated by the university last June, is dragging on.
"Bailey graduates this May and so she has been dealing with this for her entire college career," Ms Truszkowski told The Detroit News. "The Title IX case is still ongoing. Her case is extremely important in breaking down barriers victims have had with a very powerful athletic department whose actions seem to reflect that revenue-generating athletes are more important and are afforded greater privileges than their non-athlete counterparts. They have made that a clear distinction."
A university spokeswoman declined to comment on the case but said the school takes sexual assault and Title IX situations "very seriously."
Associated Press
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments