BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

CANTON – St. Lawrence University Assistant Professor Ernesto Moralez and the University itself have been named in a legal complaint alleging a sexual assault and rape which reportedly occurred April 12, 2022.

Canton Police have confirmed they are investigating the matter but no charges have been filed at this time.

The 59-page detailed legal complaint was filed by Wigdor LLP, New York City, on behalf of the victim who is an unnamed assistant professor at SLU. She’s referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint to protect her identity.

St. Lawrence University reports that Moralez was placed on administrative leave within hours of receiving the complaint and say he is not on campus and will not be teaching courses at St. Lawrence University this fall.  The university also says "there are substantial defenses to this complaint and will respond in court."

Allegations and response

“As alleged in the Complaint, Ms. Doe told University officials that Moralez sexually assaulted and raped her when she went to his home to plan future courses that would satisfy degree requirements in both sociology and public health,” a statement from the law firm said.

“April 12, 2022 was the first time Ms. Doe had met Moralez in person. As alleged, after he insisted that she “try” one of his mixed drinks when she said it was time for her to go home, over the next four hours Ms. Doe lost the ability to form words, control her body movements, and lost her memory other than finite flashbacks.”

The law firm alleges that St. Lawrence University has failed to take action on the matter and that Moralez is still employed by the college.

“No female employee should be forced to work for an employer who fails to protect her from sexual violence. We look forward to holding St. Lawrence responsible for its failure to protect our client from her horrific experience and its ongoing refusal to comply with the law and attempt to right this wrong,” a statement form Jean Christensen, Partner at Wigdor LLP said.

“For the past year, St. Lawrence has failed to issue an investigative “finding” about what Moralez did but continues to employ Moralez and he is slated to teach a full course load in the fall of 2023, while forcing Ms. Doe to work as if the horrific alleged violence never happened,” a statement from the firm says.

St. Lawrence University officials say the matters are being taken seriously.

“Last night, the University was named in a lawsuit related to the alleged sexual assault. We trust that members of our community will understand the importance of due process for all parties involved as the case proceeds through the legal process. Such matters take months and sometimes years to resolve, and you should not anticipate hearing more from me about this matter because by practice we limit what we share regarding pending or active litigation. The University will respond to the complaint in court,” an email sent by SLU President Kathryn Morris said.

Kim Asch, a communications director at St. Lawrence University said SLU "has a process for investigating misconduct allegations and retained an experienced independent investigator."

"The University respects the right of all parties to receive due process and provided support when the faculty member notified us of the allegations."

Additionally Asch said "the accused employee is not on campus nor teaching courses at St. Lawrence. Within hours of receiving the complaint, the University quickly acted and issued an immediate no contact order, and within days the University removed the accused employee from campus. He was ultimately placed on administrative leave. He will not be teaching classes this fall."

"The University believes there are substantial defenses to this complaint and will respond in court," she concluded.

The legal document includes a photo of a social media post from a woman who also alleges she was sexually harassed by Morales in 2005 while she was attending high-school.

The complaint says St. Lawrence University has ignored “the rape culture for years.”

It points out that in 2018 members of SLU’s faculty and staff called on the administration at SLU to “bring and end to the rape culture on campus.”

It also alleges that in 2014 the university failed to take adequate measures to address rape on campus which led SLU students to launch the “NO MORE” campaign to the campus and community.

Seeking relief

The complaint demands a jury trial and seeks several demands for relief.

Including:

• A declaratory judgment that the actions, conduct and practices of Defendants complained of herein violate the laws of the State of New York;

• An order that Defendants engage in injunctive measures aimed at remedying the unlawful conduct described herein so that other women will not be subject to the same unlawful conduct;

• An award of damages against Defendants, in an amount to be determined at trial, plus interest, to compensate Plaintiff for all monetary and/or economic damages;

• An award of damages against Defendants, in an amount to be determined at trial, plus interest, to compensate for all non-monetary and/or compensatory damages, including, but not limited to, compensation for Plaintiff’s emotional distress;

• An award of punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial;

• Prejudgment interest on all amounts due;

• An award of Plaintiff’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs; and such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

The complaint can be read in full here at https://www.wigdorlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Complaint-Final-PDF.pdf

Help Available

In an email issued to students, SLU's president offered resources available to students in need.

"I want to state clearly that sexual misconduct is unacceptable, both on our campus and everywhere. Since my arrival at the University, we have taken action to reaffirm our commitment to a safe campus community for our students, faculty, and staff. Last year, we hired our first dedicated Title IX Coordinator/Sexual Wellness Educator, we have expanded the University’s educational awareness requirements, and we offer a range of support services to members of our community," an email from the president said.

"Students, if you are in need of support, I encourage you to reach out to Hagi Bradley or Rance Davis in ourstudent life office at (315) 229-5311. If you need confidential support please reach out to the Diana B. Torrey '82 Health and Counseling Center (315-229-5392), our 24/7 Crisis line (315-229-1914), or theChaplain’s office (315) 229-5062."