Virginia Wesleyan College (VWC) wants to speak with certain sexual partners of a female student who filed a lawsuit against it for helping a student found responsible for raping her to transfer elsewhere.

Jonathan Halperin, an attorney representing "Jane Doe," has fought for weeks a motion from VWC requesting the woman's past sexual partners and boyfriends, The Huffington Post reported. Doe began her lawsuit against VWC last Oct.

But the school wants to talk to one of these men in particular, the first sexual partner she had after suffering the alleged sexual assault in Aug. 2012.

"VWC acknowledges that Plaintiff's sexual history is a sensitive subject," the school stated in its motion. "However, as noted above, Plaintiff has put her sexual history at issue by arguing she is unable to have sex, does not have any interest in sex, and has experienced difficulties in romantic relationships due to her inability to have sex and lack of interest in sex. Given the significance of these claims in a case where $10 million is at issue, VWC feels compelled to explore Plaintiff's sexual history."

VWC found the male student responsible for raping Doe in 2013, formally expelling him as a result. But the school changed his disciplinary status to "voluntarily withdrawn," stating they wanted to "assist him in seeking further studies."

Through her attorney, Doe told The HP VWC's request is "invasive" and is only fortifying her "resolve to move forward in this case so others may not have to endure this." Additionally, Halperin used words like "irrelevant and outrageous and totally inappropriate," calling it a method of intimidation.

"As noted in the motion, Miss Doe is seeking money damages based in part on the following claims: she is unable to have sex, does not have any interest in sex, and has experienced difficulties in romantic relationships due to her inability to have sex and lack of interest in sex," Mark C. Nanavati, an attorney representing VWC, told The HP. "Given the significance of these claims in a case where $10 million is at issue, Virginia Wesleyan has to investigate these claims like any other claims Miss Doe is making in order to properly investigate and defend this suit."

(Source: The Huffington Post)

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