Doe v. Union College

On September 3, 2017, Jane Doe (plaintiff), a student at Union College (the college) (defendant) was raped by fellow student John Roe at a fraternity party. The next day, Doe reported the rape to Melissa Kelley, the college’s Title IX coordinator. Kelley instructed Doe to contact the college’s wellness center but did not investigate Doe’s complaint or report the rape to the proper authorities. The following January, after Doe began suffering debilitating anxiety and depression, Doe and her mother went to the Title IX office and met with Kelley and the director of campus safety. At this meeting, Kelley provided Doe with the college’s Title IX policy and explained the procedure for filing a complaint. Doe submitted a written complaint. In violation of the school’s Title IX policy, Roe was permitted to review Doe’s complaint before submitting a written statement. The school investigated Doe’s complaint and conducted separate prehearing conferences with Doe and Roe. Roe was provided with necessary hearing materials, but Doe was denied these materials. Additionally, Roe was permitted to submit an impact statement, but Doe was not. The college ultimately found that Roe was not responsible for the assault. Doe sued the college, alleging among other things that it violated Title IX by acting with deliberate indifference to her sexual-assault complaint. The college moved to dismiss the claim, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York considered the motion.