A recent segment produced by ESPN on a series of alleged sex crimes at University of Missouri in 2008 shed light on a disturbing institutional failure of learning institutions to protect female students from assault, particularly at the hands of star athletes. Multiple allegations of rape against star running back Derrick Washington reportedly were slipped under the rug by the university. This story indicates that similar cases at other schools across the country, pointing to a systematic enabling of violence against women, especially when it comes to protecting lucrative and prestigious athletic programs.
Representatives for Missouri apparently were obligated to investigate any such allegations under Title IX, even though at the time no charges were pressed by law enforcement officials.
However, it seemed that the inaction of the school to conduct further investigation was due to the police's lack of action (via Kansas City):
"(The police) investigate, and they know a lot more than I do. Certainly, I look at that, but if they don't charge him, what am I supposed to do unless there's other circumstances, other things I know, and sometimes that has happened."
According to ESPN, this story is alarmingly too common (via ESPN):
"Without commenting specifically about the schools, she said: 'That fact pattern is enormously distressing to me, that people are coming forward saying that there's something wrong, that shouldn't have happened, and that the school says that, "We can't handle that."'"
Jameis Winston, Florida State standout and Heisman Trophy winner, also walked away unscathed from rape allegations in 2012 after a police investigation was closed. The alleged victim's attorney claimed the "investigation" was improper, not thorough, and essential amounted to slut shaming and victim blaming.
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