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Sexual Misconduct and Rape Allegations of Dartmouth Professors

  • January 14, 2019
  • KBA Attorneys
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College Universities continue to deal with allegations of campus sexual harassment and failure to uphold Title IX, which is a federal law that prohibits discrimination from education programs based on gender. A recent sexual harassment class action lawsuit is currently ongoing and involves three former Dartmouth College professors, Todd Heatherton, William Kelley, and Paul Whalen. All three men have all been accused of subjecting multiple female students to sexual harassment and rape.

Seven females are claiming that the school did not protect them from the predatory behavior and sexual misconduct by these professors which can be traced back to 2002. These women have broken their silence on this issue and are seeking monetary compensation for personal damages.


“Mandatory Fun” Events Forcing Alcohol and Sexual Activity

All of the plaintiffs are female scientists who were beginning promising careers and hoped to further their education at Dartmouth University. According to the lawsuit, they later learned that their academic success would be tied to their willingness to participate in what Whalen called “mandatory fun” events hosted by the professors. Plaintiff, Annemarie Brown said these events required the female students to drink alcohol and engage in unwanted sexual activities such as groping and rape.

In an interview with CBS, 27-year-old Vassiki Chauhan and 30-year-old Kristina Rapuano explained how they were both raped by the former Dartmouth professors and had suffered from the event ever since. Another victim, Andrea Courtney spoke out about her traumatic experiences in the “animal house” culture and said that “These men had all of the power in the department. They controlled all of the resources…Opting out of the boys club culture meant you were cut off from those resources,”. All the plaintiffs claim that they were not supported by the school’s administrators about the issue.


Disturbing Public Report Released in 2017

A 72-page complaint with disturbing and graphic allegations was released on October 25, 2017, by The Dartmouth student newspaper. The complaint detailed misconduct by the three former professors and also by the school for failing to protect the plaintiffs. This report was the first public report on the allegations which included first-hand experiences from the victims. Plaintiff, Vassiki Chauhan reported that Whalen forced her into sex and refused to use protection after she asked. Another plaintiff, Marissa Evan, received multiple unwanted sexual pictures from the defendant, William Kelley.


16 Years and No Action From Dartmouth University

According to the lawsuit, Dartmouth University has known about the issue for 16 years but failed to take action. In 2017, around 27 people came forward to support the claims of sexual assault and harassment against the three professors.

Dartmouth University’s alleged failure to protect female students is considered a violation of the Title IX federal law by the plaintiffs. The lawsuit claims that this ultimately led to any disciplinary action from the school to be “unilaterally terminated” and Dartmouth allowed Heatherton to retire and Kelley and Whalen to resign.


Class Action Misconduct Lawsuit

Dartmouth’s trustees are being sued for $70 million in damages due to the university’s failure to protect these students from sexual abuse and rape. There are currently seven plaintiffs seeking monetary compensation, and according to them, there could potentially be about 40 students, alumni and current, who may be able to join this class action lawsuit against the New Hampshire institution.


Have You Been Affected By Sexual Harassment?

If you have experienced similar situations and have suffered physically, emotionally, or financially, then you should contact the experienced Sexual Abuse Lawyers at KBA Attorneys. You may be able to gain compensation for your personal damages. Contact us today for your free, confidential case evaluation.