Additional information has been discovered relating to the two civil lawsuits filed last month against the Tech chapter of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity (FIJI), the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity National Organization, several unnamed FIJI members and others.
As previously reported, the plaintiff, known only as Jane Doe, blacked out after a fraternity member handed her a drink and woke up partially undressed with vulgar and sexually suggestive comments written across her body, according to the first lawsuit.
According to this suit, one of the fraternity members exchanged text messages with Jane Doe’s friend “Lance” regarding her condition, allegedly stating that she was “too drunk to function.” He was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The Technique can confirm that this individual, along with another member of the fraternity, was arrested for providing alcohol to persons under the age of 21 on Aug. 6, 2012. Both were booked in Fulton County Jail, almost four months after the sexual assault alleged by the first lawsuit took place. The suit states that “following Plaintiff’s report of the incident to Georgia Tech police, certain members of the Fraternity were arrested for serving alcohol to minors.”
The lawsuit alleges that the sexual assault occurred at the fraternity house on the night of April 19, 2012. However, a Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) incident report on the arrest states that GTPD was notified on April 19 of “a suspicious circumstance” that occurred on April 18. GTPD could not be reached for comment on this apparent discrepancy.
A second lawsuit was also filed against the fraternity and its members, alleging that a different Jane Doe was sexually assaulted by a Tech Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity member in May of the same year.
According to this second suit, several fraternity members and Jane Doe left Atlanta on May 8, 2012 on two chartered busses for a formal in New Orleans. The lawsuit goes on to state that, “along with other events, the main Formal event took place on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, on a boat rented by Defendants exclusively for the event.”
It then states that fraternity members and guests were served alcohol and that many “smoked marijuana and consumed other drugs.” According to the suit, after the attendees departed from the boating area, “members of the Fraternity and their guests went bar hopping on Bourbon Street,” which also noted that the plaintiff did not enter bars and instead socialized outside.
The lawsuit then states that “a group of Fraternity members and guests, including Plaintiff returned to the Plaza Suite Hotel around 3:00am on May 9, 2012.” This date and time, however, appears to conflict with the the previous statement that the events on the boat occurred on the day of the 9th.
It was shortly after this that the lawsuit alleges that the named defendant gave Jane Doe a drink that was adulterated with a controlled substance. According to the lawsuit, she blacked out and woke up to the defendant sexually assaulting her. She awoke the next morning with a box of emergency contraceptives beside her.
The Technique also obtained another GTPD incident report that confirms that GTPD received a report of a strongarm rape occurring at Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity house on Oct. 18, 2013. The narrative of the report indicated that the officer responded to a sick call at the fraternity house where, after which he was apparently informed of a sexual assault occurring on the same day.
The Phi Gamma Delta National Organization declined to comment on these new details.