Former student government president files federal lawsuit against WKU

Former Western Kentucky University student government association president Andi Dahmer filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the university, President Timothy Caboni, Title IX Coordinator Andrea Anderson and student affairs director Charley Pride alleging the university and the individuals named in the suit failed to act on reports of sexual harassment and threats made by other students to Dahmer during her tenure as SGA president.

In Dahmer’s five-count suit she accuses the defendants of violation of Title IX hostile educational environment; negligence, negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision; negligent infliction of emotional distress and deprivation of rights under color of law.

She is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Dahmer claims in the suit that she was subjected to emotional distress, fear anxiety, trauma and delays in the pursuit of her college education. Sexual harassment and discrimination run “rampant” in the student government association and Dahmer was frequently called derogatory, profane names that were gender-based insults, she said in the suit.

She often slept at friends’ apartments, and her parents drove to Bowling Green from Louisville at least 14 times so that she could stay with them and away from her residence hall because she did not feel safe, according to the lawsuit.

After taking her concerns to Caboni and the university’s Title IX coordinator, Dahmer was informed March 8 that her case did not meet the threshold for Title IX  but instead fell under the purview of the Student Code of Conduct, according to the suit.

In a written statement, the university referred to Dahmer’s suit as “frivolous.”

“WKU responded to the concerns referenced in the complaint and took action to address the matter in full compliance with its policies and the law,” the statement read.  “The allegations made against WKU and the specific individuals named are maliciously untrue, and the University will vigorously defend the claims.

“The university takes seriously and fully investigates all reports of harassment and sexual misconduct.  As has been previously reported, the university’s Title IX office determined that while no Title IX violations occurred in this case, there were violations of the Student Code of Conduct.  Following due process, the individuals involved were appropriately sanctioned according to university policy and procedure.  In accordance with federal law, the University does not disclose information related to student conduct matters.

“The university will file an answer to the Complaint in due course in which we will address each individual allegation.   We are confident that the court will find in our favor against this frivolous suit,” the statement read.