More than 20 women’s and civil rights groups joined the fight today to revive a lawsuit against the University of Colorado filed by two alleged rape victims.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Association of University Women and the NAACP were among those who asked a federal judge to reinstate the lawsuit central to CU’s football recruiting scandal.
A judge twice has thrown out the lawsuit, which claimed the university was culpable for tolerating an environment dangerous for women.
Lisa Simpson and another woman, who has asked not to be named, say football players and recruits crashed a 2001 party at Simpson’s apartment and sexually assaulted them.
They claimed the university failed to change the hostile culture within the football program, even after previous sexual harassment and assaults.
U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit in 2005 was a “grave injustice and we hope that the brief can help right that,” said Emily Martin, deputy director of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project in New York.
Simpson’s attorney, Baine Kerr, said the case could have “a national impact of potentially historic importance for the responsibility of universities to govern big-time athletics in the interest of student safety.”
But CU spokesman Ken McConnellogue said today’s filings offer no new evidence.
“There is nothing new in the appeal of this case that has already been ruled on conclusively twice in district court,” he said.
Simpson and the other woman sued the university under Title IX, a federal law that allows women to sue if they believe a school’s policies have barred them from their right to an education.
Denver appellate attorney Elizabeth Moran said it is common for national groups to jump into high-profile appeals to bring attention to the “larger-picture implications of the ruling.”
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-820-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
