Three students at James Madison University who filmed themselves assaulting a woman on spring break and then shared their video on social media have been expelled from campus, effective after they graduate.
Three Sigma Chi fraternity brothers Mike Lunney, Jay Dertzbaugh and Nick Scallion were on spring break with student Sarah Butters where she was sexually assaulted in 2013.
According to the Huffington Post, Sarah Butters told college authorities that she doesn’t remember the sexual assault, but found out about it after returning to campus and seeing the video shared on an online gossip forum.
The video shows Butters intoxicated and topless being passed amongst the three male students, who are groping her while trying to remove her bikini bottoms. The video hears Butters mumbling that “This isn’t okay. This isn’t a good idea.”
When Butters brought the video to the attention of the university authorities, she was told it was questionable whether the sexual activity taking place was assault or consensual.
With texts from fellow classmates, and the video, Butters proceeded with sexual assault allegations.
Image via Huffington Post
After examining the evidence in January, the university determined that Lunney, Dertzbaugh, and Scallion were responsible for sexually assaulting Butters and punished them with expulsion, but only to come into effect after graduation.
Butters, who appealed, had the ruling changed to immediate expulsion, but was overturned again by a third hearing reinstating the original verdict.
It is reported that two of the attackers have already been awarded their degrees, and one is a rising senior.
Butters, who suffered depression following the attack, found her grades drop and has since lost her financial aid. She has now withdrawn from the college.
