Suit blames MU for alleged rape

? If University of Missouri-Columbia officials had acted on previous reports of sexual assaults, members of a fraternity may not have drugged and raped a former student, a civil lawsuit claims.

Jury selection in the case began Monday in federal court in Jefferson City. Among those named in the lawsuit are former Greek Life Director Pam Sampson and the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

University officials, the suit claims, had received previous reports of Delta Tau Delta sexual assaults before fraternity member Brad Duggan, along with several other men, allegedly raped Emilie Ostrander April 6, 1998, in the fraternity’s annex.

Ostrander claims Duggan gave her a date-rape drug and then attacked her. But Duggan insists that the sexual contact was consensual. Ostrander is seeking unspecified damages against Sampson and the university for physical and emotional duress and punitive damages against Duggan.

Columbia police said they received a report of the alleged rape but made no arrests.

Christopher Schappe, Ostrander’s attorney, said he would introduce documents that show university officials failed to act on reports of sexual abuse. Other women who were allegedly assaulted by members of the fraternity will be called to testify, he said.

University officials say the school is not responsible because it has no control over fraternities’ actions.