Lawsuit against WSU dropped

Claim reports racial incidents between students were handled improperly

JAYCE CARRAL, Evergreen reporter

A federal district chief judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against WSU for its handling of two racial incidents between students on Feb. 21, 2015 and March 29, 2015.

Plaintiff Dominique Stewart, who is black, alleged she was racially and sexually harassed verbally by white males on both occasions.

The incident on Feb. 21, 2015 involved a white male student at Phi Delta fraternity who allegedly insulted Stewart on her race and gender, according to a case document from the United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle.

The incident occurring March 29, 2015 involved four unidentified males in a car who allegedly yelled racial slurs and threw a chicken nugget at Stewart, according to the case document.

In her argument, Stewart said WSU’s treatment of the two incidents violated Title VI and Title IX. [googlepdf url=”https://dailyevergreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/show-multidocs.pdf” width=”400″ height=”600″]

Stewart would have to present evidence of WSU’s alleged violation of the Clery Act and also that the university’s actions were “‘deliberately indifferent’” to the incidents of discrimination, according to the case document.

In the case document, Chief Judge Ricardo Martinez said Stewart failed to support her claims of WSU’s negligence as well as failing to “identify a legal duty [under the Clery Act] owed specifically to her that the University breached.”

Martinez also said in the document Stewart failed to identify a private right of action WSU violated.

To read more about the lawsuit visit:  https://dailyevergreen.com/31981/news/student-sues-for-handling-of-racist-incidents/