Former student sues college over roommate's "disturbingly" open sex life
By Jeff MillsMarch 3rd, 2012, 3:15 pmComments (14)
Lindsay Blankmeyer, twenty-one, a former student at Roman Catholic Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, has sued her old school, claiming they were derelict in helping her after her roommate's over-active sex life allegedly drove her into a suicidal depression.
Blankmeyer already suffered from depression and ADD when she enrolled at Stonehill in 2007, wanting to see how she would do in school "without any sort of additional help in the form of a reasonable accommodation." The answer turned out to be "not well," as Blankmeyer's roomie, "Laura," did a number on her psyche by "having online and actual sex right in front of her," as the court complaint has it.
The depressed undergrad began to spiral out of control as her horny roommate frequently "had overnight guests without asking [Blankmeyer's] permission or even informing [her] that she would be having guests." "Laura" would "stay up late with lights on" and supposedly shake and yell at Blankmeyer while she was sleeping. The complaint states:
"More disturbingly, Laura would have sex with her boyfriend while Lindsay was trying to sleep just a few feet away. Laura would also engage in sexually inappropriate video chatting when Lindsay was in the room."
Blankmeyer ended up appealing to her resident assistant, describing the "toxic environment." Stonehill offered her two options: either move to a former study lounge described by her lawyers as a "small, cubicle-like space," or move to a so-called "party dorm" and live with another (presumably strange/sexually active) girl. Neither option was satisfactory to Blankmeyer, and she wound up moving into a hotel. She eventually completed her final semester at her home in Buffalo, New York.
Blankmeyer is seeking $150,000 in damages and fees, with the lawsuit alleging that Stonehill refused to grant Blankmeyer "reasonable accommodation of a single room," and that the school violated the Rehabilitation Act, the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act, as well as Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws.
I don't know if one would call the suit frivolous, but, while it's unfortunate that the roommates weren't compatible to say the least, taking legal action seems a bit excessive. The promiscuous roommate wasn't doing anything illegal, and Stonehill College did make what appeared to be reasonable attempts at rectifying the situation.
Commentarium (14 Comments)
I don't think the roommate, while inconsiderate and apathetic, was "sex-crazed."
...are you quoting "sex-crazed?" I don't see it in the article.
I'm not saying I agree with her suing, but that is some BS to have to put up with that from a roommate, especially one sharing the same room.
I'd sue them for not teaching me now to take advantage of every situation, such as joining in... oh wait. She did take advantage of the situation....
...in your case it was a bunch of dudes.
My college roommate kept bringing his GF to our dorm room and banging her. Typical old dorm room with the pull out beds that were about 3 feet apart. I got sick of it and finally got up one night and crawled in with them. His GF said "No way I'm doing this!" She was pissed and left and refused to come to the room when I was there.
That is awesome and hysterical.
$150k, eh? Typical litigious bullshit.
I agree suing is maybe taking it a bit far, but her roommate sounds like an inconsiderate and manipulative ass. I lived with someone like that myself for a while, and regardless of how "sex-crazed" I am, I was always considerate of her privacy. It amazes me how classless some people are.
"Promiscuous"? Really?
First, as a University student welfare manager we have no idea if any of these things actually happened....if they did it is a noise and harassment issue (maybe some obscenity issues) and has little to do with sex. If she were playing the trombone late at night with her boyfriend then it would be the same course of action. My guess is it was she said, she said and they roommate had a very different version of events which is why the room swap option was mooted. Also, it should be noted that if things are that bad a student will move just to get away from the situation even if they feel it was unfair that 'they' had to move. This student was offered alternative accommodation so this lawsuit does not stand a snowball's chance...
I don't understand why she couldn't have been more direct with her roommate. God All mighty-if she wanted the sex to stop she should have open her door and invited the rest of the dorm to watch.
VSS
oh college. those heady days when privacy meant that your roommate simply didnt have direct line of site.
Residence hall singles are frequently not much larger than the small, cubicle-like space described as one of the options Lindsay was offered. I wonder about a number of things about this case since I have worked with residence hall students for the last 20 years. First, did Lindsay speak to anyone besides the RA about her options? Did she talk to anyone in the Office of Residence Life? RAs are student employees and typically they don't have the power to make room changes. Second, did she approach the Office of Disability Services once she determined that she did indeed need special housing accommodations? This is the campus office that makes recommendations to various academic programs and college offices as to what the student needs to succeed. I am perplexed as to why she decided to make a go at college without requesting any help from an a reasonable accommodation. It is her choice, of course, but there may not have been any spaces available once the school year started. Also, did she ever say anything to her roommate? It sounds like her roommate was being an ass, but she may not have been given the opportunity to change her behavior. I know that I may be expecting a lot from the plaintiff, but $150,000 is a lot of money and I am curious as to whether she was as persistent in getting a resolution as she could have been.
Now you say something