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Jameis Winston's Sexual Assault Accuser Files Lawsuit Against Florida State University

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Jameis Winston has avoided punishment for the sexual assault he was accused of committing more than two years ago, and now his accuser is going after Florida State University (FSU) directly.

Obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, the woman's federal civil lawsuit against FSU claims the school went out of its way to violate the Title IX law and their own policies in order to keep Winston on the field for the football season. She said if FSU had responded properly, Winston would have never played a down for the Seminoles.

What's more is she said she has unfairly been subjected to a "hostile educational environment" that includes death threats and accusations of money grubbing.

"The FSU Athletics Department chose to violate school policy and not report to the FSU administration that their star recruit had been identified as the suspect in the Dec. 7, 2012, rape investigation," reads the complaint from the woman, who went by Jane Doe.

According to the Sentinel, the complaint suggests Winston was identified a month earlier than what was previously reported. However, she accused the FSU athletic department of interfering with the Tallahassee Police Department's (TPD) investigation.

In Jan. 2013, the complaint states, Monk Bonasorte, senior associate director of athletics, and Jimbo Fisher, the Seminoles' head coach, knew Winston was named as the assailant in a rape case. Paul Osborn, a TPD investigator, scheduled an interview with Winston on Jan. 22, 2013 for the next day, but the quarterback never showed up. The lawsuit states FSU athletic officials called a local attorney, Tim Jansen, who he showed up to speak with Osborn and wound up representing Winston for a time.

From that point in time, Winston did not speak with investigators from FSU or the TPD and went on to play two full seasons for the Seminoles. It was not until Nov. 2013, when a Tampa Bay Times reporter got a tip, that the case became headline news. After being left for months, the Tallahassee State Attorney Willie Meggs reviewed the case and decided not to file charges.

FSU is already under investigation by the U.S. Education Department to determine if the school violated the gender equity Title IX law by improperly investigating Winston's case. The ED could take away federal funding from FSU, while Doe is demanding damages and a trial in front of a jury.

The Sentinel did not learn the monetary amount, but the damages reportedly include: "education expenses; payment of expenses incurred as a result of the sexual assault; damages for emotional pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and lost future earnings."

In Dec. 2014, two years after the incident, former State Supreme Court Justice Major Harding determined Winston did not break any FSU student conduct code violations. As was reported Wednesday morning, Winston has reportedly decided to declare for the NFL Draft.

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