A woman who accused ex-Indiana University student John Enochs of rape has filed a lawsuit against Indiana University and his fraternity.
Enochs, accused of raping two students, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in a deal with prosecutors that could spare him jail time.
As it is, he served one day behind bars; Enochs will serve a full year of jail time, but only if he violates probation, officials confirmed.
He was charged in 2015 with two counts of rape stemming from alleged incidents in 2013 and 2015, according to court documents.
The 2013 incident was dismissed and the count pertaining to the 2015 incident was amended to a low-level felony offense of battery.
Enochs pleaded guilty to that battery charge.
The court entered the charge as a misdemeanor instead of a felony, which was up to its discretion. Hence the lighter punishment.
The sentence, not unlike the Brock Turner Stanford rape case, drew criticism from many observers for being what some say is too lenient.
Now, a lawsuit filed by the victim says school officials and administrators “showed deliberate indifference to actual notice of this sexual assault.”
Moreover, the school “condoned Delta Tau Delta fostering an environment of illegal and dangerous activity, as well as sexual assault.”
The woman, a fellow Indiana University student, testified that she attended a party hosted by Enochs’ fraternity back in April 2015.
After passing out from drinking, she was woken by Enochs “forcefully raping her,” according to a press release about the lawsuit.
Attorney Jeff Herman says in the release:
“There were many red flags that the school and the fraternal organization ignored which ultimately led to my client being sexually assaulted.”
Even more suspect to his many critics?
Enochs has previously been accused of rape in two separate incidents, according to court records and multiple media reports.
Robert Miller, the chief deputy prosecuting attorney in Monroe County, said he tried to speak to the prior alleged victims before the plea.
The 2015 accuser “never returned our calls, while the 2013 accuser “exchanged messages but it didn’t work out and we were up against a deadline.”
Enochs’ defense attorneys said prosecutors “acknowledged through their voluntary dismissal of the rape charges” that he is not a rapist.
“John Enochs did not rape anyone and he should never have been charged with these offenses,” his defense team pointedly stated.
The fraternity member “presented evidence to demonstrate his innocence of the sensationalized and false charges.”
After which, his attorneys maintain, “the prosecutor’s office, on their own motion, dismissed both rape charges.”
“John Enochs did admit to conduct in one instance that the Court found to be a misdemeanor.”
“He is profoundly sorry for his lack of judgment and apologizes for his conduct.”
