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Seattle lawsuit tests UW’s responsibility for fraternity assault
A student who was raped at a University of Washington fraternity event alleges the university knew of earlier misconduct by the fraternity member and failed to protect her. UW says it was unaware of any active protection order when he enrolled and that it investigated the assault, after which he was permanently withdrawn.
A University of Washington student who was raped at a fraternity event in 2022 is suing the university, alleging it knew the man who assaulted her had a history of sexual misconduct and failed to protect her from a foreseeable risk.
The lawsuit, filed last year against UW and former student Wyatt Ohara, centers on an assault at a Pi Kappa Phi event on Nov. 19, 2022. The student, identified by her initials in court documents, was a freshman and sorority member at the time.
According to the lawsuit, Ohara gave her alcohol until she could not stand or speak coherently, then took her to his room at the fraternity house and raped her while she was unconscious. The complaint says several students later broke through the door and found her unable to sit up or get dressed.
Ohara pleaded guilty in 2024 to third-degree rape. A second-degree rape charge was dismissed, and he was sentenced to nine months in King County Jail.
The lawsuit alleges UW knew about a protection order sought against Ohara by another woman and should not have allowed him to join the university or attend alcohol-centered events with female students. Court records show that in 2020, when both were 16, a girl who lived near Ohara in Redmond sought a sexual assault protection order, alleging he had indecently exposed himself to her. A temporary order was issued, but the petition was dismissed later that month.
UW spokesperson Victor Balta said the order predated both students’ enrollment and was no longer in effect when they began attending the university. He said UW was not aware of any active court-approved restraining or protection orders when Ohara enrolled.
Balta said UW opened a Title IX investigation and a student disciplinary proceeding after the 2022 assault. Ohara was permanently withdrawn from the university and is not eligible to reenroll. He said the university is committed to preventing sexual assault and responding in a trauma-informed, compassionate way.
The lawsuit argues UW had a duty to protect students at events hosted by a sanctioned fraternity. Attorney Steve Berman, who represents the student, said the case raises questions about whether universities should be held responsible for risks within Greek-letter organizations. Berman also cited the role of Greek Row in attracting applicants and generating revenue for UW.
The case comes amid renewed national debate over campus sexual assault and fraternity parties. Cornell University recently barred fraternity parties for the rest of the school year after a former student alleged she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members at a 2024 party. The Cornell lawsuit and the absence of criminal charges against the men have drawn scrutiny to campus responses and Title IX processes.
A Washington Supreme Court ruling in July may also figure into the UW case. The court upheld a decision that Washington State University had a special relationship with a fraternity where freshman Samuel Martinez died in a 2019 hazing ritual, finding the university owed him a duty of care. The UW lawsuit argues that the principle should apply to universities’ responsibilities for sexual assault and other violence as well.
A trial in the student’s case is scheduled for October 2027.