Ex-student blames lax security at Alabama college for rape

Apr 22, 2022, 1:27 PM | Updated: 1:47 pm

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Lax security that included broken door locks at a private Catholic college in Alabama allowed a male student to enter the dorm of a female student and sexually assault her, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the woman.

The woman, a former student at Spring Hill College, sued the school and campus officials for an unspecified amount of money over the alleged attack in March 2021, in which the man is awaiting trial on rape and other charges, news outlets reported.

The Associated Press is not using the plaintiff’s name because it generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

Her lawsuit, filed in Mobile, where Spring Hills is located, describes a campus security environment that includes college police officers drinking with underage students, nonfunctioning campus lights and door locks that don’t work.

The woman went back to her dorm with assistance after becoming intoxicated at a bar and went to sleep, according to the lawsuit. A male student entered the building through a malfunctioning door and then went into the woman’s room and assaulted her, the suit said.

Dozens of similar incidents allegedly occurred in years before the woman was assaulted, the lawsuit claimed.

While not commenting on specific allegations in the suit, the college said in a statement that it has “a number of initiatives to prevent and address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking,” WKRG-TV reported.

“Spring Hill College is committed to providing students with a safe environment that is conducive to personal growth and learning,” it said.

Former Spring Hill student Vassil Kokali was arrested on rape, sodomy and burglary charges in March 2021 and is scheduled to face trial in June. The defense contends he had consensual sex with the woman.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
2 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
8 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
16 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
16 days ago
Tom Brundy points to a newly built irrigation canal on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. ...
Associated Press

Southwest farmers reluctant to idle farmland to save water

There is a growing sense that fallowing will have to be part of the solution to the increasingly desperate drought in the West.
23 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
...
Quantum Fiber

How high-speed fiber internet edges out cable for everyday use

In a world where technology drives so much of our daily lives, a lack of high-speed internet can be a major issue.
(Desert Institute for Spine Care photo)...
DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Why DISC is world renowned for back and neck pain treatments

Fifty percent of Americans and 90% of people at least 50 years old have some level of degenerative disc disease.
Ex-student blames lax security at Alabama college for rape