Harvard ’15 says school ‘refused to act’ on sexual abuse report
‘I carried pepper spray in the halls of my own home’
A recent Harvard graduate has filed a federal lawsuit against the university claiming it failed to act on her sexual assault complaint.
Alyssa Leader ’15 told a federal court here in Massachusetts that Harvard forced her to live in Cabot Hall with an ex-boyfriend who abused during a yearlong relationship and retaliated against her with harassment once she brought complaints to the administration.
“I carried pepper spray in the halls of my own home,” says Leader. “I refused to sit with my back to a door. I used furniture to barricade the doors of rooms I entered alone.”
It was not until Leader, 22, obtained a restraining order against the man that the university moved him to another dorm.
Alyssa Leader, Harvard ’15
Harvard’s Office of Sexual and Gender-Based Dispute Resolution investigated Leader’s claim and did not find her ex-boyfriend and alleged assailant responsible.
“I graduated from Harvard nine months ago, but every few weeks I have the same nightmare,” says Leader. “I hope that if I make my voice heard, my nightmare doesn’t have to become one Harvard student’s reality.”
A Harvard spokesperson said the school “does not comment on pending litigation.”
A university statement added: “The continued prevalence of sexual harassment and assault at Harvard and on college campuses across the nation is deeply disturbing.
“Harvard responds fairly and purposefully to every allegation of sexual assault among its students, faculty, and staff.
“In recent years, the University has adopted a new Title IX Policy and Procedures, created a new office to investigate allegations of sexual assault and other forms of harassment, and increased training and resources to both prevent and respond to incidents.”