K-State student charged with rape, victim joins lawsuit against university

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A lawsuit states that K-State's failure to follow Title IX policy resulted in the rape of another student. (File Photo by Evert Nelson | The Collegian)

A third rape victim joined one of two Title IX lawsuits against Kansas State today.

Jared Gihring, a former K-State student who was expelled from the university just before the fall semester according to court documents, has been charged with the rape and sodomy of Crystal Stroup, a former K-State student. Gihring is also charged with the rape of Sara Weckhorst, dating back to April 26, 2014.

Stroup was added to the existing lawsuit filed by Sara Weckhorst.

In April of 2016, the Collegian reported on two separate Title IX lawsuits by Weckhorst and Tessa Farmer brought against K-State, accusing the university of deliberate indifference to plaintiffs’ reports of rape, deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, and negligence.

Weckhorst and Stroup’s lawsuit states that Stroup’s rape would not have happened had the university investigated Weckhorst’s rape back in 2014.

“Had K-State investigated Sara’s complaints of rape against (Gihring), he would have been … prevented from causing physical and emotional harm to Crystal,” the lawsuit states.

The Collegian reached out to the university and was told that K-State “does not comment on pending litigation.”

The Collegian will have more updates on this story in both tomorrow’s print edition and online.

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Tim Everson was born in Wichita, KS in 1994. Before fifth grade he moved up to Manhattan for one year before settling in Riley, KS where he graduated from Riley County High School in 2012. Tim has worked for the Collegian since spring of 2014 and took over as Sports Editor during the summer of 2015. Tim loves sports, music, movies and good food when he can get it.