Judge Orders Law Firm to Release Documents Related to 2016 Baylor Assault Cases

A federal judge ruled the law firm hired by Baylor University to investigate the handling of sexual assault allegations at the school must turn over documents related to the investigation, according to the Associated Press' David Warren. 

In May 2016, Baylor's board of regents released a findings of fact report from Pepper Hamilton law firm. The report outlined what Pepper Hamilton determined to be "institutional failures at every level of Baylor’s administration" but offered only a limited picture as to what the firm discovered during the course of its investigation.

"This is the stuff that's been hidden for three years that substantiates and gives the details behind the failures that were acknowledged by the regents," said Jim Dunnam, who's representing the plaintiffs in federal Title IX lawsuits against the university, per Warren.

Baylor shared a summary of Pepper Hamilton's report and recommendations when the firm concluded its inquiry.

"Actions by University administrators directly discouraged some complainants from reporting or participating in student conduct processes and in one instance constituted retaliation against a complainant for reporting sexual assault," the school wrote.

Pepper Hamilton also determined members of the football program and officials in the athletic department showed a "failure to identify and respond to a pattern of sexual violence by a football player and to a report of dating violence."

In April 2016, ESPN's Paula Lavigne reported Baylor had received in 2013 a report from police in Waco, Texas, about an alleged sexual assault that involved now-former football players Tre'Von Armstead and Myke Chatman. Baylor didn't start a formal investigation of its own until 2015.

Another former football player, Tevin Elliott, received a 20-year prison sentence in January 2014 after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a female student in 2012.

Jasmin Hernandez filed a lawsuit against Baylor in March 2016, claiming the university "was negligent because officials had notice that Elliott had sexually assaulted at least one other student and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent him from hurting others."

Hernandez and Baylor reached a financial settlement in August 2017.

Following the release of Pepper Hamilton's findings of fact report, Baylor fired head coach Art Briles and demoted university president Ken Starr. Athletic director Ian McCaw resigned as well.