Texas Woman Sues SMU After Alleged Rapist Is Acquitted

A Southern Methodist University student who says she was raped on the Texas campus is suing both the school and her alleged attacker, seeking damages of more than $1 million.

The Dallas Morning News reported the lawsuit comes after the student and her parents were sued by her alleged rapist, Donald Cuba, for defamation. Cuba, who is seeking $450,000 in damages, was acquitted of sexual assault last year.

The student alleges SMU is liable because they knew of one prior attack by Cuba and that he was acquitted of the 2012 attack in part because of inadequate procedures within SMU’s disciplinary system.

Both students say the process to address the allegation was flawed and they received little or conflicting information from university officials.

The university declined to comment on pending litigation.