Countersuit filed against Jane Doe in Liberty University sexual assault case

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - A sexual assault case involving a Liberty University student athlete and a former student has triggered a countersuit from the man named in the original case.

In the original case, a student athlete only referred to as Jane Doe accused her friend and fellow L-U student, Charles Tippett, of date rape in October 2020.

Now Tippett has filed his own defamation lawsuit, saying the sexual encounter was consensual and the allegations have impacted his life after graduation.

The original lawsuit filed in November 2021 also accused Liberty University of Title IX violations, alleging the University failed to properly investigate the rape.

In the Jane Doe case seeking $1.776 million, court documents said Tippett used alcohol and a “roofie” to rape her.

According to the legal documents, Jane Doe was bruised and went to Lynchburg General Hospital, where she received a rape kit the day after the assault. She later found out she was pregnant, but miscarried at 11 weeks.

The lawsuit said Jane Doe missed an athletic practice because of the severe bruising on her legs. She told her coach about the injuries, and later her coach reported the injuries to the university.

Months later, the lawsuit said the director of the university-led internship she was participating in mentioned firing Jane Doe from the program because they were concerned she would take legal action against the university.

Jane Doe accuses Liberty University of actively discouraging a formal complaint and said the University has a pattern and practice of dissuading sexual assault victims from reporting and pursuing allegations of sexual assault.

Meanwhile, the countersuit filed by Charles Tippett said Jane Doe “willfully, intentionally and maliciously accused Tippett of rape with the intent of causing damage to his reputation.”

The countersuit said the false rape allegation got him fired from his first full-time job and made him lose income.

Tippett is asking for $1.35 million in damages.

The Jane Doe case is one of the latest lawsuits involving Liberty University and claims of sexual assault.

Last July 12 Jane Does claimed the university created an unsafe campus environment with its policies.

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