Student sues fraternity after alleged rape

(CNN) - A Wesleyan University student who says she was raped in front of onlookers at a "wildly out of control" campus fraternity party has filed a lawsuit against Xi Chapter of Psi Upsilon, 11 of its members and the alleged assailant, according to court documents.

Cabri Chamberlin, then a freshman, said she was raped by another student last May at the Xi Chapter of Psi Upsilon fraternity house in Middletown, Connecticut, at a pledge "strip show," says the suit, which was filed Tuesday in a Connecticut federal court.

CNN does not usually identify victims of sexual assault but has done so in this case because the woman wanted to make her name public.

"I'm proceeding in this case with my real name instead of 'Jane Doe' because as the victim of a heinous violent crime I've done nothing wrong and have nothing to be ashamed of," Chamberlin said in a statement provided by her lawyer. "I can't even describe the pain of being raped, or how much it alters a life, and no other person should ever be forced to have that experience. I hope my experience and lawsuit will create changes that protect others."

At the party, the lawsuit says, many "underage and extremely intoxicated" young people danced with naked pledges and "spilled alcohol throughout the area."

Chamberlin, who has taken a leave from her studies, said she became extremely uncomfortable, put on her jacket and attempted to leave when a male student picked her up from behind and raped her in the presence of "numerous others," according to the lawsuit.

Wesleyan public safety officers then took her to a nearby hospital, where a diagnosis of sexual assault was documented, the lawsuit says.

"Psi Upsilon Fraternity takes all reports of risk management violations, especially those with regard to sexual assault, very seriously," Tom Fox, executive director of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, said on the fraternity's website. "We are currently investigating the incident and gathering further information."

After an internal investigation, the university expelled the alleged perpetrator and imposed "sanctions against the fraternity and members," according to a statement by Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth.

The student named in the lawsuit, who has not been charged criminally, did not return calls seeking comment.
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