In Lawsuit, College Demands Alleged Rape Victim List Every Sex Partner

By Anna Merlan  |  August 10, 2015 | 2:30pm
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In response to an ongoing lawsuit from a woman who says she was raped on campus, Virginia Wesleyan College has submitted a new filing demanding that the woman list every sexual partner she’s ever had. The college’s lawyers say in the filing that they feel “compelled to explore Plaintiff’s sexual history,” because she says the rape left her with no interest in sex.

Virginia Wesleyan, a small Methodist-affiliated school in Norfolk, already accused the woman of exercising “poor judgment” and argued that protecting students from rape on campus can’t be considered their responsibility. The woman, who filed suit as Jane Doe, says she was raped three days into the 2012 school year by a member of the lacrosse team, who she alleges gave her a shot spiked with an unknown drug.

In the new filing, first reported by the Huffington Post’s Tyler Kingkade, and which we saw via Christian Nightmares, Virginia Wesleyan’s attorneys, headed by Mark C. Nanavati, ask for the names of anyone the woman has had sex with “at any time,” as well as the names of all her boyfriends since 2012. They acknowledge this could be a “sensitive subject,” but insist they really need it, in part, Kingkade writes, “to verify whether she told the truth when she said she was a virgin at the time of the assault.” Oh, and to make sure she really is sufficiently traumatized. From the filing:

Finally, VWC acknowledges that Plaintiff’s sexual history is a sensitive subject. However, as noted above, Plaintiff has put her sexual history at issue by arguing she is unable to have sex, does not have any interest in sex, and has experienced difficulties in romantic relationships due to her inability to have sex and lack of interest in sex. Given the significance of these claims in a case where $10 million is at issue, VWC feels compelled to explore Plaintiff’s sexual history.

Jonathan Halperin, the woman’s attorney, told Kingkade that the request is “ irrelevant and outrageous and totally inappropriate,” adding that it’s “intended to harass and intimidate the victim.” He said he will refuse to turn over the requested information unless the judge orders him to do so.

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Virginia Wesleyan’s lead attorney in the case, Mark C. Nanavati. Screengrab via WAVY

 
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