By Micaela Freeman | Staff Writer
Sixteen defendants have been added to the lawsuit against a Baylor University fraternity regarding an alleged rape that occurred at an off-campus Phi Delta Theta party in February 2016.
The civil lawsuit, which now includes a total of 24 Phi Delta Theta affiliated defendants, was filed in the 414th State District Court on Feb. 8. That list includes the local and national chapters of the fraternity and students who were officers of the Baylor chapter.
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According to the arrest affidavit, the victim, called Donna Doe in the civil suit, said a man took her “to a secluded part of the grounds behind a tent in order to get some air … once away from everyone else attending the party” and sexually assaulted her.
The suit alleges the fraternity’s members at the incident were negligent, allowing Donna Doe to be drugged, “failing to discover, develop and/or implement basic safeguards designed to prevent and/or minimize incidents of sexual assault,” and “failing to have adequate policies and procedures in place to prevent the provision of alcohol to persons under the age of 21.”
One of those named as a defendant is Jacob Walter Anderson, a former Baylor student who was president of Phi Delta Theta at the time of the incident. Anderson was arrested and later indicted on four counts of sexual assault and is awaiting trial. He is currently out of jail on a $5,000 bond.
In May 2016, Phi Delta Theta suspended its Baylor chapter after the indictment of Anderson and the incident.
University Spokeswoman Lori Fogleman said six of the 16 new defendants are current Baylor students, nine are Baylor graduates and one is a former student.
Fogleman said Baylor is not a party in the suit and therefore the university declines to comment.
The McLennan County District Clerk’s office has not been notified that any of the defendants have hired attorneys at this point.
The Lariat reached out to Phi Delta Theta’s national chapter for a comment and was not able to receive one by the time of publication.
The lawsuit is asking for more than $1 million in damages for physical injury, mental anguish and pain and suffering.
