Columbia student accused of rape sues university

The Columbia University student accused of rape by fellow student Emma Sulkowicz, who became a symbol of campus sexual assault with a high-profile campaign to bring awareness to her case, is fighting back in court, writes Irin Carmon for msnbc.

Paul Nungesser, who was cleared of responsibility by the university, filed a discrimination suit in the federal district court against Columbia University, President Lee C Bollinger, and Jon Kessler, a visual arts professor who advised Sulkowicz on a thesis project that involved carrying her mattress around campus unless Nungesser was expelled.

Sulkowicz, who has appeared on msnbc several times to tell her story and was a guest of New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at the 2015 State of the Union address, has long criticised the university’s proceedings in investigating her complaint. She is not named in the suit. Instead, the lawsuit contends that the university and its top officials have “significantly damaged, if not effectively destroyed Paul Nungesser’s college experience, his reputation, his emotional well-being and his future career prospects”, which Nungesser alleges constitutes “gender based harassment and misconduct” in violation of state and federal law.
Full report on the msnbc site