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Student accuses Linfield trustee of sexual assault
Student accuses Linfield trustee of sexual assault
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to story at N-R website:
By STARLA POINTER of the News-Register
McMinnville, Ore., News-Register, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019
A Linfield College student has filed a lawsuit alleging a college trustee — who subsequently left the board — sexually assaulted her in McMinnville in February.
AnnaMarie Motis stated that trustee David Jubb, 70, touched her under her clothes during activities following the board’s February meeting.
She names both Jubb, a 1971 Linfield graduate, and the college in her suit, filed with the U.S. District Court in Portland.
She alleges the college knew about previous “inappropriate sexual conduct” by Jubb, that the school failed to take action, and that the assault caused emotional distress and “deprived her of access to educational opportunities or benefits” at Linfield.
She is seeking a jury trial and asking for at least $550,000 in damages, including economic damages of $250,000, non-economic damages of $300,000, and punitive damages. She also wants the college to take steps to prevent sex-based discrimination and harassment, and to fully investigate such complaints.
Scott Nelson, director of communications for Linfield, said the college advised the student of her options when she reported the assault to officials,
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“including reporting to the McMinnville police and/or having the college conduct a Title IX investigation.”
Title IX was enacted in 1972 to provide equal opportunities for and end dis-crimination against women on college campuses. It also covers sexual harassment and assault.
Nelson said Wednesday the college had not yet been served with a legal com-plaint.
“Protecting students is, and will always be, our highest priority,” he said.
Motis was the student representative to the board of trustees for the 2018-19 school year. She attended the board’s Feb. 15 meeting and a dinner that followed at Michelbook Country Club. She said she also accompanied some of the trustees downtown after dinner to visit a bar.
Her suit alleges that Jubb insisted she accompany him downtown in an Uber vehicle, rather than going with other trustees. While they waited for their ride in the country club foyer, she says he told her he would take her to his hotel, the Atticus, after the bar and “end the night there.”
She also alleges he grabbed her and pulled her against him. She said she stepped away and told him, “I feel like that’s a little close,” but he persisted and this time grabbed her beneath her skirt. She said she moved away again and told him “that’s definitely not some-thing I’m comfortable with.”
Jubb left the foyer and another female trustee gave Motis a ride downtown. But the student said she ran into Jubb again at The Oak, where she sat across from him at a narrow table. She alleges he bumped her legs, pulled her chair closer to him and put his hand under her dress and touched her crotch.
The lawsuit says Motis left the bar at that point, and that she reported the sexual assault to McMinnville police. Within a week, she reported to the chairman of the board of trustees and to the college, as well.
She said the chairman, David Baca, assured her Jubb would be removed from the board of trustees. In June, he sent a letter to other board members, saying Jubb “was resigning due to health concerns ... Dave provided valuable service to the board and the college for many decades.”
Linfield officials interviewed Motis about her complaint in July. The law-suit says the investigation has not been completed.
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