EspañolSeveral Women and Transgender Students Allege Rape And Sexual Abuse While Attending California State University’s Maritime Academy
MORROW COVE, CALIFORNIA (April 16, 2023) – A number of students have alleged widespread sexual misconduct, racism and hostility towards women and transgender people at California State University’s Maritime Academy.
A Times investigation has revealed a number of accounts of sexual violence, harassment and homophobia at the tightly knit school. CSU’s Maritime Academy is by far the smallest and most insular of all CSU campuses.
There are only about 800 students thattend the school which caters to people who are bound to work at sea. Students have said that the mistreatment is particularly bad on training cruises when they are at sea for as many as 60 days.
One female student reported that the tires on her vehicle were slashed and a slur was carved into her gas tank. Another woman said that she dropped out of school to avoid seeing the man who raped her.
Cal Maritime administrators said that they are trying to take steps in order to curb the instances of abuse and sexual violence.
Liability For Sexual Abuse At CSU Maritime Academy
Sexual abuse and harassment occurs at every level of the education system. Women are particularly vulnerable. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Over half of women and almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. One in 4 women and about 1 in 26 men have experienced completed or attempted rape.” There are a number of steps that schools can take in order to a reduce instances of sexual violence.
- Schools should thoroughly vet all prospective employees.
- All instances of sexual misconduct should be thoroughly investigated.
- Schools may need to utilize security measures such as hiring security guards.
Depending on the facts of any case, a university could be liable for student-on-student sexual abuse. The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Davis Next Friend LaShonda D. v. Monroe County Bd. of Educ. (1999) 526 U.S. 629 set the guidelines for when a school could be liable for student-on-student sexual abuse under Title IX. In general, a school can be held liable when: (1) a student experienced severe, pervasive and objectively offensive harassment and (2) the school had knowledge of the actual sexual harassment and the school’s deliberate indifference resulted in further actionable harassment against the student. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any instance of sexual harassment in college.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- A police report should be made.
- An experienced sexual abuse attorney should be consulted.
Sexual abuse is one of the most destructive things that a person can go through. Victims of sexual abuse and rape are prone to suffer from a wide variety of physical and psychological injuries. Many of these injuries may not manifest for several years or months after the abuse. Any person that is the victim of sexual abuse may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A civil claim can help victim’s achieve some measure of justice for what they’ve gone through.
Investigating Sexual Abuse At CSU Maritime Academy
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our best wishes to all of the people who have been the victims of sexual abuse and harassment at California State University’s Maritime Academy. The stories that have been told by current and former students are deeply troubling. School administrators need to do more than make promises about how they will prevent other instances of abuse.
Have you or someone that you care about been the victim of sexual abuse or harassment while attending California State University’s Maritime Academy? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of sexual abuse attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that victims are cared for and that all responsible parties of sexual abuse are held to account. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
