Private Liberal Arts College Wins Summary Judgment as Federal Court Rejects Expansion of Title IX

A private liberal arts college won complete summary judgment in Minnesota federal court against a former student who sued the college, claiming its personnel engaged in discrimination on the basis of sex and were negligent in responding to her reports of sexual assault, and blaming the college for condoning excessive alcohol use by students. Our firm represented the college, and brought a motion to dismiss that was successful in disposing of a number of the plaintiff’s claims, including that the college was liable under a novel “social host liability” theory. After lengthy discovery, including multiple expert witnesses, the remaining claims were dismissed in full in a written opinion by the district court judge.