Jerry Falwell's Liberty University
is making headlines for
terrible reasons after a student
came forward.
And allege that after being raped
on campus, the school not only
ignored her accusations.
But went out of its way to threaten
to punish her For
breaking the school's moral codes.
Let me give you the details,
Elizabeth actually
was a first year student at
the Evangelical University in 2017.
When she went to a Halloween party
at an apartment away from
campus when she had eight shots of
vodka and some other drinks.
The next thing she remembers is
waking up with another student from
the University on top of her with
his hand over her mouth.
The student denies the claim
actually called campus police Upon
returning to her dorm, an officer
took her to the hospital.
Where a nurse found 15 injuries of
various kinds such as bruises.
So she Immediately reported this
clearly, which is why she was taken
to the hospital.
She also of course reported
the incident to Liberty University
and they refused to hold anyone
accountable.
According to her version of events.
She says, when she
told her resident advisor about
what had happened, the advisor told
her not to report the incident.
As she could be considered to
have broken the school's rules
against drinking and associating
with members of the opposite sex.
The advisor instead suggested that
they pray together.
>> Yeah, I don't need your
goddamn prayers, okay?
Jesus Christ, she comes and
tells you she's raped and
you're like, what were you wearing?
What are you drinking,
what were you see, you're okay,
let's pray together.
Spare me your goddamn prayers and
get me justice, I want justice,
I don't want your stupid prayers.
Okay, it gets way worse,
go ahead Anna.
>> So the school decides to launch
essentially a sham investigation.
After she had been raped,
she had text messaged her friend
about what had happened.
And she said,
I effing remember making noise and
him covering my mouth my God,
Axley texted a friend.
In addition to those texts,
Axley had also taken photos of her
injuries to back up her claim.
Elysa Bucci, the lead investigator
started questioning Axley and
instead of looking at her evidence,
asking why she had gone to
the party.
And how much she had to drink
making the student immediately feel
judged.
Then, the victim in this case,
Axley, was called back to the
office after five months to look
at the investigation documents.
When asked by Axley,
Bucci reportedly said,
the photos of the students injuries
had been removed because they were
thought to be too explicit.
>> Come on guys, Jesus Christ man,
so they removed evidence, why?
It's your body is too explicit,
it'll make people what attracted to
the rape victim.
Well we have a lot of horny men on
this panel and they already are not
going to do anything.
Of course they're going to cover up
your rape, of course they are.
But if we show them the bruises
that you received on
your body while being raped,
they might be aroused.
So it's too explicit, so we're
going to take out the evidence.
If you send your daughter to
Liberty University,
you should have your mind examined,
you're a monster if you send your
daughter there.
>> No, but I mean this is in line
with what evangelicals believe
to be morality, this is morality,
this is their version of morality.
It's the rape victims fault for
going to a party that had men and
drinking, right?
So the onus falls on the victim
here starts and stops with
the victim, end of story.
No discussion about the individual
who took advantage of her
in a vulnerable state.
It's just all about placing
blame on a young woman who made
a decision to go to a party.
And have drinks and she had
too much to drink apparently but
who has it, what student hasn't
gone through that?
And so my question to people who
like to place the blame on the
victim, who's just been raped is.
Okay, if you've accidentally
left your front door open and
someone burglarized your home and
stole all your possessions.
Is it the burglar's fault or
is it your fault for
forgetting to lock your door?
Is it the person who actually
committed the crime Or
is it the victim?
>> Anna, it is that they don't even
care [CROSSTALK] >> They don't care
and look, all I'm trying to say is,
this is consistent with what we get
from evangelicals,
from fundamentalists, okay?
Not just fundamentalist Christians,
fundamentalists of
all religions, okay?
Especially when we just had
a major state in this country,
pass a law that bans women from
getting an abortion even if they've
been raped.
Because they don't see it as
a crime, let's just keep it real,
they don't see it as a crime,
they don't.
>> So I'm going to give you even
more horrific parts of this
case in a second.
But guys I can prove to you they're
hypocritical liars, super easy,
they say, you went to a party,
you had a lot of drinks.
Okay, all right, now by the way,
we're going to punish you,
which is the part I'm
going to get to in a second.
Well, okay,
let's flip it then you say,
it's her fault for
having the drinks and
she should be punished.
Well, what if it was a situation
where it was a male and
he says, yeah, I went to a party.
I had a lot of drinks and
another guy raped me.
Would they be, it's your fault for
having the drinks hell no and
you know what everybody
watching knows it.
They'd be,
another guy raped you what
a monster we could get him out.
They wouldn't ask you about how
many drinks you had he
wouldn't care.
If you need to Brusa your body,
you think they say, it's too
explicit we're taking it out?
No, they go get the other guy,
right?
Right away because I said
beloved male,
the males must be protected, right?
But the females they're disposable,
they're property, right?
And so now, let's go to more from
the independent, then the victim,
quote, she then got an email
from the school.
Saying that she needed to sign
a document,
to show that she was aware that.
She could be found to have broken
the school's code of conduct.
Which bans drinking and
quote being in a state of undress,
with a member of the opposite sex.
Axley could face quote possible
disciplinary actions,
if she chose to move the case
forward, the documents said.
>> One insane parent,
would send their daughter to this
garbage institution.
>> They sanction rape,
it's insanity,
why was she in a state of undress?
because the guy who was raping her.
And you're saying, well,
I technically as he was
ripping your clothes off your body,
you're in a state of undress.
So we're not sure we're going to
punish him at all and we took out
all the evidence from the file. But
you, we are guaranteeing punishment
for you, you go ahead and
go forward, I dare you to go
forward with your rape allegations.
When we took out all the evidence
and the only person who's likely to
be punish this you.
What kind of a monster sends their
daughter to Liberty University,
there's a green light to do sexual
abuse. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> And
by the way, it's not just Axley, so
now, let's get to the next quote,
is from ProPublica.
Interviews of more than 50
former students and staff, along
with record from numerous cases.
Revealed that the school's focus on
sexual purity, has led to officials
blaming and discouraging women,
who tried to report sexual assault.
To other students also said,
they had to sign forms similar to
that of Axley.
Was the one saying that she
was fined $500 and told to attend
counseling after drinking alcohol.
Students have also alleged that
university police officers, have
urged victims not to press charges
when they reported sexual crimes.
Guys, there's two parts of this, so
50 former students and staffers.
>> Mm-hm. >> So one person, you
don't have to take our word for it,
there's all those other people. And
in one of those cases, they say,
you were sexually abused, you have
to pay a fine of $500, monsters.
Last one from ProPublica,
Liberty University spokesperson
Scott Lam told outlet.
That he was fired from his job as
Liberty University's senior vice
president of communications earlier
in October.
For pushing school officials to
respond to emails from ProPublica.
So that was a person of conscious,
a real Christian, who said we
shouldn't allow rape on campus.
And they've exposed that that this
is a real problem, he said look,
we should do something about it.
But also we should put out
a statement saying we're opposed to
rape, of course,
we're going to do an investigation.
They're, no, we're not, shut up,
you're fired.
One last thing Axley, this happens
in all school traditions, cultures
mainly for religious reasons.
But also for
other cultural reasons, okay?
And a crock comes across in all of
the religions, whenever you have
fundamentalism this happens.
They say a woman cannot be
in the same room as a man, okay?
If anything happens to her,
they blame her, now, what does that
encourage, it tells all the men.
If you're ever alone with a woman,
she's the one who's going to get
blamed, so
do whatever you want to her.
It is a way that they literally
encourage rape because they say
there's going to be no consequences
for you.
And we're going to blame her,
now what do you think bad guys
are going to do?
Monsters.
>> Yeah, and
I mean, look, there were so many
stories published about traditional
non-religious universities.
Ignoring accusations of rape and
sexual assault because they don't
want the bad publicity.
Investigating it taking it
seriously, means bad publicity and
they're terrified of that.
So they'll do the wrong thing in
order to save their own
public image.
But there's an added
egregious disgusting layer to it,
when you're talking about
an Evangelical University.
That again places all
the blame on the rape victim,
as opposed to the perpetrator.
>> If you know anyone that goes
to Liberty University,
send them this video.
And if you, most importantly
the parents, pull out all your
daughters from Liberty University.
They're literally in danger
right now as we speak,
if anything happens to them.
There's almost no chance they're
going to get justice and
they might be fined for their rape.
So get them out of the university.
I mean, I'm being serious and look,
if you think, no,
my fundamentalist religion is more
important than my daughter.
Hey, that's up to you man,
it's our job to give you the news,
you want to be a monster,
that's your business.
But you can read these stories on
your own, you could search,
you don't have to just rely on us.
Look at it, make sure that we're
telling you the truth,
interpret it any way you like,
look at the actual news of it.
And if you still think it's okay,
I'm going to send my daughter
there, that's up to you, man.
But I [LAUGH] think you're
absolutely nuts, if you let him
into that den of ghouls and
goblins and monsters.
I mean, you're talking about evil,
this is evil.