Lawsuit alleges rape at UChicago fraternity with history of sexual assault reports
Chicago police investigate reported sexual assault at University of Chicago fraternity party
Chicago police are investigating after a 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in Hyde Park, prompting cooperation from the University of Chicago and Alpha Epsilon Pi as authorities search for a suspect.
CHICAGO - A 19-year-old woman was raped at a University of Chicago fraternity house in February, according to a new lawsuit alleging the fraternity and its national organization failed to address years of sexual assault reports.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC, names Alpha Delta Phi, Inc., and the university’s Chicago Society of Alpha Delta Phi chapter as defendants. The University of Chicago is named as a respondent in discovery, which allows the plaintiff to seek records and potentially add the university as a defendant if the evidence warrants it.
The complaint alleges the woman, identified as Jane Doe, attended a party at the Alpha Delta Phi house at 5747 S. University Ave. on Feb. 7. A male fraternity member allegedly took her to a room and raped her while she was unable to consent, then left her unconscious.
A friend later found the woman, who struggled to speak and walk as friends helped her leave the house, according to the lawsuit. The next morning, she discovered bloodstains on her underwear and reported the alleged assault to Chicago police. The investigation remains open.
Lawsuit alleges years of warnings
Big picture view:
The complaint alleges the fraternity chapter has been the subject of multiple sexual assault investigations since 2009.
In January of that year, two sexual assaults were reported at the house within five days of each other, according to the lawsuit. Chicago police and University of Chicago police also investigated a reported assault connected to the chapter’s weekly "Bar Night" gathering. One student was taken to an emergency room by ambulance following an incident, the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit also cites a September 2022 post shared by the Instagram account @shareyourstoryuchicago that described a sexual assault at the house and called for the fraternity to be placed on probation.
"Alpha Delta Phi has been on notice about this house since 2009," Michael Grieco, founding partner of Gould Grieco & Hensley, said in a statement. "Report after report, investigation after investigation — and a young woman was still raped there this year. What did the national organization do with those warnings? Were changes made? Was anyone held accountable? Those are the questions Alpha Delta Phi now has to answer under oath."
The complaint alleges the national organization and local chapter failed to implement meaningful safeguards despite the reported incidents.
What they're saying:
We reached out to the University of Chicago for comment on the new lawsuit and are waiting to hear back.
Fraternity policies under scrutiny
Dig deeper:
The lawsuit also questions whether Alpha Delta Phi enforced its own policies on alcohol, consent and supervision at chapter events.
The national fraternity publishes educational materials stating that intoxicated or incapacitated people cannot consent to sexual activity, according to the complaint. However, the lawsuit alleges the organization failed to enforce those policies at its Chicago chapter.
"Prevention policies are supposed to protect students, not simply exist on paper," Georgia Booth, an attorney with the firm, said in a statement.
The case comes amid increased scrutiny of sexual assault allegations involving college fraternities.
Just days before the lawsuit was filed, Chicago police opened an investigation into a reported sexual assault at Alpha Epsilon Pi, a separate fraternity house about a block away on South University Avenue.
In response to that case, the University of Chicago said fraternities are not recognized student organizations and have no formal affiliation with the university.
What's next:
The new complaint seeks damages for the woman’s physical injuries, emotional distress and ongoing psychological harm.
The Source: The information in this report came from a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC, statements from the firm’s founding partner and attorney, allegations cited in the complaint, and a University of Chicago statement regarding fraternity affiliations.