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Ex-KSU softball player suit: Rape was covered up

Posted at 1:15 PM, Feb 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-09 13:15:54-05

A former Kent State University softball player is suing the school and her former coach for allegedly covering up a rape by a baseball player. 

According to the civil lawsuit, filed by The Chandra Law Firm LLC Tuesday, former softball coach Karen Linder used her influence as the victim's coach to cover up the rape allegation.

The softball player says she told her coach about the December 2012 attack at the end of her sophomore year but, according to the court filings, Linder never reported the rape to the university. 

The complaint also alleges that Linder treated the victim differently after the rape was reported, "acting with extreme indifference toward her, and criticizing her for what she deemed as overly emotional behavior."

Linder resigned as coach in August 2015. At that time, the university did not cite why she was leaving.

According to the lawsuit, Linder then blamed the player and her family after her resignation. 

In addition, the court filings state that Kent State University did nothing to prevent or correct the situation.

The baseball player was never charged for the alleged rape. 

newsnet5.com has reached out to the university for comment. We will add the statement to the story when we hear back.