University 'Saddened' By Alleged Rape Victim's Suicide

WAYNE, N.J. — William Paterson University is "saddened" by the death of a student who hung herself after she was allegedly raped at a school frat house last year, but refused to comment on a lawsuit the girl's mother filed against the school.

Cherelle Jovanna Locklear's mother filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming officials failed to report and fully investigate her daughter's alleged sexual assault.

University spokeswoman Marybeth Zeman said the university is "unable to comment" on the lawsuit and will "continue to focus on the safety and well-being of all of its members."

The university offers a variety of counseling resources for students who seek help with personal challenges, Zeman said.

Locklear, 21, tried committing suicide Oct. 15, 2015 by overdosing on pills. She hung herself in her dorm room bathroom in November 2015 after she was allegedly raped at the university's Sigma Pi fraternity house that September, but did not report the incident immediately, Marquessa C. Jackson-Locklear said in court papers.

Locklear reportedly told Theresa A. Bivaletz, coordinator of the university's Victim Services department, about the alleged assault, but Bivaletz did not tell university detectives about it until that November, according to the lawsuit. Detectives allegedly failed to act and protect Locklear once aware of the assault.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Related: William Paterson Student Committed Suicide Following Failed Rape Probe, Lawsuit Alleges

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