University of Alabama Facing Lawsuit Over Sexual Assault and Suicide Case

The University of Alabama is now a defendant in a lawsuit by the parents of a Texas woman who killed herself after reporting that she was sexually assaulted while attending the school.

Court records show Megan Rondini’s parents added Alabama and its president to their federal lawsuit over her treatment following the alleged assault in 2015. She killed herself last year. Her parents live in Austin, Texas.

The amended lawsuit filed Wednesday says the university failed to protect Rondini from a man whose relatives are big donors to Alabama athletics. It says the university violated its own policies and federal law.

The amended lawsuit drops claims against a former counselor and the head of a university office that deals with women’s issues.

The school says in a statement it will “vigorously defend” itself.

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