A Yale student accused of rape and suspended from the school was found not guilty by a court
- Yale student Saifullah Khan was arrested on Halloween 2015 for allegedly raping a female student.
- The case has dragged on for years.
- The ruling has broader implications for colleges as they try to address sexual assault.
A Yale student was found not guilty on charges of sexual assault Wednesday in a rare campus rape case that was tried in criminal court, The New York Times reported.
The plaintiff, Saifullah Khan, was arrested on Halloween 2015 for allegedly raping a female Yale student. The case has dragged on for years and was further postponed after a judge declared a mistrial in 2017.
Khan's defense lawyers argued that Yale made him a scapegoat for their larger problems handling sexual assault complaints, and alleged that Yale's private police force inappropriately collaborated with the university unjustly.
They also asked questions about what the complainant wore that night, asking why she hadn't chosen to dress more modestly, like "Cinderella in a long flowing gown," according to The Times. Activists say questions like those typically deter victims from reporting allegations of sexual assault.
Wednesday's ruling brings an end to Khan's case, but raises more questions as colleges grapple with handling sexual-misconduct cases.
Yale suspended Khan from the university in November 2015. Khan's lawyers are now calling for the university to readmit him as a student.