Penn State student files lawsuit claiming mishandling of rape case, racial discrimination
A Penn State student accused the university in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Wednesday of mishandling a rape investigation and professors of treating her differently because of her race.
The nine-count lawsuit filed in the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania by Kayla Williams, an African American from Allegheny County, seeks maximum compensatory damages allowed by law.
A university spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday, citing the university’s policy to not comment on pending litigation.
Williams’ attorney Mart Harris wrote in the 18-page lawsuit that Williams was raped by two other Penn State students in January 2017.
The university’s Title IX investigation packet was given to her about five hours before a hearing for one of the accused rapists and a university panel limited her testimony to “yes” or “no” answers, Harris wrote.
The panel is also accused of refusing rape kit evidence because it “did not understand the rape kit terminology,” Harris wrote.
One student withdrew from the university before Penn State could investigate Williams’ claims and the second student was found to not be responsible, Harris wrote. It was not clear in the lawsuit if either student was criminally charged.
Williams’ experiences led her to seek out mental health treatment for emotional distress, which Harris wrote was exacerbated when assistant professor Brendan Prawdzik tried to convince her that minorities are partially responsible for systematic racism.
She chose racism as the topic of a research assignment for the class and Prawdzik debated with her for about one hour, Harris wrote.
Williams was “appalled (and) humiliated” and later did not attend several of Prawdzik’s classes. When she returned, Prawdzik is accused of loudly asking for her health care information in front of the class.
After an about five minute discussion in the hallway, Prawdzik told her she would not be in the class anymore and threatened to call the police, Harris wrote.
Her claims are “easily demonstrably false (and) purely and wholly dishonest,” Prawdzik wrote in an email Thursday.
Williams received a failing grade in Prawdzik’s class and in January enrolled in a psychology course taught by assistant professor Michelle Yarwood, Harris wrote. She accused Yarwood of a grading discrepancy between her and two white students.
Yarwood did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 2:13 PM.