Former Softball Player Sues Kent State, Alleges She Was Raped by Coach's Son

Kent State University and former softball coach Karen Linder are being sued by a former player who is accusing Linder of trying to cover up an alleged rape.  

According to the civil lawsuit filed Tuesday, Lauren Kesterson claims Linder told her to "keep quiet" in 2014, two years after reporting she was raped by Linder's son, Tucker, per Karen Farkas of Cleveland.com:

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The complaint claims Kent State and Linder violated Title IX, a federal prohibition against sex discrimination in education, and the equal-protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, as well as intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

Linder...treated Kesterson differently after she reported the rape and criticized her for overly emotional behavior, the lawsuit says. Kesterson was required to visit the Linder family home — which had life-sized wall decal of Linder's son — for softball activities and events.

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Farkas' report included a statement Kent State issued Tuesday afternoon about the lawsuit: 

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When we are formally served with the complaint we will answer accordingly. The university is strongly committed to Title IX and we take these matters very seriously. We follow all policies and procedures related to Title IX, taking measures above and beyond what is required to ensure all students, staff and faculty are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

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Kesterson's attorney, Subodh Chandra, also issued a statement: "College coaches wield considerable power over their athletes. But with the power to demand obedience comes the responsibility not to abuse that power. No student-athlete should ever have to choose between reporting sexual abuse and playing the sport she loves."

A timeline of events is in Farkas' report about the lawsuit, with Tucker's alleged rape of Kesterson said to have occurred on Dec. 7, 2012. Some time later, she "went to the campus health center to tested sexually transmitted disease [sic] and for pregnancy."

Per the timeline, Kesterson issued a formal Title IX complaint with the university in May 2014 after meeting with Linder. The coach reportedly "failed to report the rape as required by university policy."

The lawsuit alleges days before that meeting, Linder did report a separate rape allegation made by another softball player to school officials. 

Last August, per the lawsuit timeline, Kesterson reported Linder's actions to deputy Title IX coordinator Erin Barton. Kent State athletic director Joel Nielsen stepped in to "prevent the filing of a formal complaint and no-contact orders."

Linder resigned as head coach of Kent State's varsity softball team on Aug. 29, 2015, with assistant Eric Oakley taking over on an interim basis for the 2015-16 season. Farkas' report noted that Kesterson is no longer on the softball team and never reported the alleged incident in 2012 to police.