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THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 | VOLUME 130 ISSUE 17
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
"I did not feel safe"
A former student athlete said she was raped by a football player in Jayhawker Towers, then stalked on campus. She said she reported the alleged assault, but the University didn't protect her. That's why she's suing KU.
Contributed Photo Former University student athlete, Daisy Tackett, alleged in a lawsuit that the University failed to protect her after her alleged sexual assault
MIRANDA DAVIS,
KELLY CORDINGLEY,
CASSIDY RITTER
AND VICKY DIAZ-
CAMACHO
@KansanNews
Contributed Photo
Editor's note: The University Daily Kansan generally does not name sexual assault victims in accordance with the Kansan's policy guide. However, Daisy Tackett has given the Kansan permission to publish her name and photo.
A former University student athlete filed a Title IX lawsuit March 21 against KU. The lawsuit claims the University "created a hostile educational environment" because it failed to protect her after she said she was raped by a KU football player in Jayhawker Towers, an on-campus residence hall.
The KU football player, who is unnamed in the lawsuit, was under investigation for two independent reports of sexual assault, according to the lawsuit. He was never suspended or issued a "no contact letter," the lawsuit stated.
The former student athlete, Daisy Tackett, was a student senator and a rower at the University. She said she left the University in January 2016 because of stress from the alleged assault and the investigation.
The lawsuit, filed March 21 in Douglas County District Court, claims the assault was foreseeable by the University. It stated that football players are housed in the same residence hall as other students "despite knowledge of a high rate of sexual assault," Dan Curry, Tackett's lawyer, said in a news release.
Other than Tackett's lawsuit, one Title IX investigation is open against the University, with three complaints about sexual assault and sexual harassment within that investigation.
The University's former police chief Ralph Oliver — who worked at KU for 38 years — said there's been a sharp increase of reported sexual assaults at KU, he said to the Lawrence Journal-World in January. The lawsuit also reported that the former police chief said sexual assaults remained the biggest issue for the campus, according to the lawsuit.
"A state of shock and horror"
In fall 2014, a group of student athletes and other University students went to Jayhawker Towers after a Halloween party for a gathering, according to the
lawsuit. Tackett said she attended the Halloween party.
She said she was invited to the football player's apartment to "watch a television show," the lawsuit states. That's when the alleged rape happened.
Tackett said she stayed in his apartment in "a state of shock and horror," according to the lawsuit. It said that at the time, she chose not to report the sexual assault but told a teammate what happened.
She kept going to class but tried to avoid her alleged assailant, according to the lawsuit. She said she experienced panic attacks while on campus and during rowing team practices at the KU football stadium.
"Throughout the rest of the 2014-2015 school year, Plaintiff made a valiant effort to have a normal college experience," the lawsuit said.
The aftermath
One year later, in October 2015, another rowing team member told Tackett that the same assailant had assaulted her. Her fellow rower had reported the assault to the University and the police. After learning this, Tackett reported that she had also been raped.
She said she first reported the assault to the rowing team trainer and was
referred to a KU Athletics physician and then a member of the Institutional Opportunity & Access (IOA).
In the lawsuit, Tackett said the football player stalked her at two separate locations: once in front of Blake Hall and Watson Library.
"The KU football player stared her down and called her a derogatory name," according to the lawsuit.
SEE "I DID NOT FEEL SAFE" PAGE 2
WHAT IS TITLE IX?
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at colleges and universities. Title IX, in part, forces
colleges and universities to create offices to investigate complaints of sexual assault and harassment that occur on campus.
SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON CAMPUS
In 2014 there were 14 rapes and 10 fondling reports on campus, with 10 rapes and six fondling incidents occurring in University dorms.
In 2013, approximately nine forcible sex offenses were reported in University dorms.
In 2012, there were two reports of forcible sex offenses in KU dorms.
Source: 2015 Clery Report for the University
Sexuality and Gender Diversity forum offers place for trans+ students to share stories and experiences
▶ LARA KORTE
@lara_korte
Nathan King knew from a young age that he did not identify as a female.
"I knew ever since I was a child that I did not identify as my assigned gender," King said. "I would whine and complain when I had to pick out clothes from the girls section, and I hated it when the 'breasticles' decided to come in."
King said he graduated high school identifying as genderqueer, but after coming to the University, he said came out as a trans man and began using the pronouns he and his.
King, a junior from Kansas City, Mo., is one of four trans- and nongender conforming individuals who shared their stories Tuesday night at "TRANSLation: Being Trans+ at KU."
The panelists spoke to a crowd of about 35 people at the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The conversation began with each individual
"I am still trying to come to terms with my transness," King said. "I'm enjoying my transness, but it's not something that I'm super out about yet."
Caithe Alexander, a sophomore from Shawnee, Kan., was identified with having childhood gender dysphoria around two years old, which meant they did not identify strongly with their gender assigned at birth.
sharing their own personal journeys to who they are today.
"Recently I have come to terms with the idea of pangender which means I identify as all and any gender all at once." Alexander said.
Although they said their family has been pretty accepting, Alexander said it is difficult when their brothers will refer to them by their "dead" name, the name assigned at birth, or when their mother calls them her son.
Alexander said previously, they had identified as genderqueer, but recently has begun identifying as pangender.
Other students like Owen Brown, a freshman from Abilene, Kan., grew up in a very non-accepting environment. Brown said because he grew up in a small town that was often homophobic and transphobic, he felt suppressed. However, after some research as an adolescent, Brown said he realized his identity.
"It always felt off if my parents called me their daughter, or if I was dating someone and they called me their girlfriend, that sort of thing," Brown said. "When I was a teenager, I ended up doing some research and finding out a lot more about this and I was like, 'Oh, that's me.'"
"I say newly only because I realized this identity and this summer, I didn't come out to anyone specifically until September, and I didn't come out for real until like two weeks ago," Woodward said.
Isaiah Woodward, a freshman from New Brunswick, N.J., said they are newly gender-fluid.
Woodward said they still have trouble explaining their gender identity to family, but now, "life makes a lot more sense."
Outside of family acceptance and struggles, there are still several issues that transgender and nongender conforming individuals deal with when coming to the University, particularly housing.
Earlier this year, University housing added accommodations for transgender and gender-fluid students. Alexander said they've had a good experience with the University housing in the past when they moved from an all-men's scholarship hall to a women's hall and called the University "super helpful."
Another issue for students has been gender-neutral restrooms. Several spaces on campus have added gender-neutral restrooms and changing areas over the past few years, including the Ambler Recreation Center last fall. However, only 10 buildings on campus offer gender-neutral restrooms.
"She asked if I had, and I quote, 'the characteristics of a woman,' and said if I was not on testosterone, she could not put me in a men's place." Brown said.
However, not everyone had a similar experience. Brown said when trying to relocate out of a women's dorm, he had trouble with one of the housing representatives.
King said having more gender-neutral bathrooms is something he would like to see on campus.
Panelists emphasized the importance of accurate pronoun usage, both in the classroom and in social settings.
Misgendering in the classroom is a concern for many in the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, the Sexuality and Gender Diversity Consortium has been speaking with administrators on ways to change the University's enrollment system to be more inclusive of transgender and nongender conforming individuals.
Alexander said they'd like to see more professors begin class by introducing their personal pronouns and asking everyone to do the same.
"I don't feel comfortable using any bathroom that's not just outside the [Sexuality and Gender Diversity] center," King said.
Brown said he's begun using a tool on the University website that allows him to clearly identify himself to teachers.
"One thing that's been really helpful for me is in Enroll and Pay. There is thing you can put in a preferred name and that feeds into all the class rosters," Brown said. "So I did not
Towards the end of the hour-long discussion, the panelists wrapped up by sharing some final words of wisdom for the room.
need to email my professors about my name or pronouns this semester."
"If you're exploring gender identity and your own gender and what-not, you're not alone, there are many people that you can talk to." King said.
King said it's important to have a support group when exploring gender and said he made the mistake of thinking he had to go through it alone.
Woodward, who said they struggled with their identity at first, assured the room that it is okay to be uncertain at times.
"You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to wake up one day and say, 'Oh, this is who I am. This is how I am going to present myself.' This is something I really struggled with at the beginning," Woodward said. "So feel free to talk to people who are trans and share experiences and question everything."
- Edited by Samantha Harms
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