Jacob Anderson, a college student and president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter at Baylor University was arrested Thursday after turning himself in to police. He is being charged with the sexual assault of a female student outside of a frat party.
Jacob Walter Anderson is a 21-year-old finance major at Baylor.
“This is a heck of a time to be accused of sexual assault, especially at Baylor University, with Baylor’s history with not being truthful with what’s going on,” said Anderson’s defense attorney, Clyde Chandler. “I am going to meet with the family and we are going to plan our strategy because this is, of course, serious. Serious to everyone involved, not just my client, because we have to get this right.”
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Baylor University’s History of Assault:
Anderson’s arrest comes on the heels of recent scandal, where college officials were criticized for failing to properly respond to a series of rape and sexual assault reports on campus.
It concerned Tevin Elliot, a former defensive end on the school’s football team, who was accused of sex crimes against five women from October 2009 to April 2012. Elliot was eventually convicted in January 2014 and is currently in jail, serving a 20-year sentence.
According to an ESPN report, there have been many similar cases “in which school officials either failed to investigate, or adequately investigate, allegations of sexual violence. In many cases, officials did not provide support to those who reported assaults.”
What Happened:
Now, back to the Anderson case. According to the female student, the alleged assault took place on Saturday, Feb. 20 at a fraternity house in South Waco.
“She said she was handed a drink of some kind of punch and was told, ‘Here you go. Drink this,’” Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told The Waco Tribune-Herald. “She said shortly after that she became very disoriented, was taken outside by our suspect, who is Jacob Walter Anderson, and she said when they got outside, Anderson forcibly sexually assaulted her.”
The female student says she passed out, but, after she came around, made her way back into the party, found a friend, and asked of help. She was taken to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center where, after a sexual assault exam was concluded, the medical staff notified the police that an assault had been committed.
Almost two weeks later, Anderson turned himself over to police. After a very brief stint in jail, he was released that same evening following the posting of a $50,000 bond.
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Fraternity Response:
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity has recently released a statement about the incident. It reads:
“On March 3, 2016, the Phi Delta Theta Texas Lambda chapter at Baylor University was made aware of a sexual assault allegation made against a member of the chapter. The Phi Delta Theta fraternity stands with victims of sexual assault, and does not condone or tolerate any act of sexual assault or violence against women. The chapter advisory board, national office, and current chapter members have and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials. The chapter will not comment on any ongoing investigations of any current members.”
