Woman sues Oregon State, Ex-OSU coach Riley, for allowing 'sexually violent culture'
A former Oregon State student is suing the university and former football coach Mike Riley for “allowing a sexually violent culture” that led to her rape in 1999, according to The Oregonian.
Riley, who is entering his first year at Nebraska, was the head coach at Oregon State in 1997-98 before leaving for the San Diego Chargers. He wasn’t running the program at the alleged time of the assault, but the woman is claiming that she was raped at an off-campus apartment where Beaver football players lived.
The woman is filing the lawsuit claiming that the university “failed to remedy a sexually violent culture toward women permitted by OSU’s football program and implement a more effective assault prevention policy” during Riley’s tenure.
Also according to the Oregonian story:
“The lawsuit does not make clear what has happened to the woman in recent years. But on Nov. 14, 2014, she saw the Brenda Tracy story in The Oregonian and that Tracy reported being sexually assaulted on June 24, 1998, by four men, two of whom – Calvin Carlyle and Jason Dandridge – played football at OSU.”
The woman accusing Riley and OSU is alleging that she was assaulted in the same apartment complex.
The publication is protecting the woman’s identity because of her pending sexual assault case. Dennis Erickson was Oregon State’s coach during the time of the alleged rape, thoughhe was not part of the lawsuit.
Riley released a response through Nebraska Athletics on Wednesday morning.
“Yesterday, I was made aware of a complaint filed in the State of Oregon concerning a previously unknown incident to me in October 1999. I cannot comment on any matter in the legal process. However, I am committed to a harassment-free culture in our football program and I am continually seeking ways to expand our student education program. Sexual assault is a horrendous crime and has no place in our society.”
Riley will make his Nebraska debut on Saturday when the Huskers host BYU.