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LUBBOCK, Texas — A young woman who says she was the victim of a sexual assault at a Texas Tech University residence hall has filed a federal lawsuit against the Board of Regents, accusing the school of mishandling her case and pressuring her into a quiet resolution that let the accused avoid suspension or expulsion. Instead, he was required to donate $500 to a nonprofit and write an essay about consent.
Tanner Cearley was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was filed on November 5, 2025. EverythingLubbock.com previously reported Cearley, 20 at the time of his arrest in 2024, was previously indicted and accused of Aggravated Sexual Assault. He was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center and released after he posted a $125,000 bond.
The lawsuit detailed a violent assault that happened around November 5, 2023. Court documents stated Cearley invited the victim to watch a movie in his dorm. After the victim went to his room, court records allege that Cearley “immediately attacked her.” The complaint said Cearley was accused of holding the victim down so she could not escape. Court documents said this continued for several minutes and only stopped when he noticed the woman bleeding from lacerations. Court records said she was bleeding and suffered injuries to her neck, collarbone, hips and more.
Complaint says informal resolution let accused avoid expulsion
The woman reported the assault to a Texas Tech Community Supervisor the next day. There was also a complaint filed with the Title IX Office Student Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct (SCRSM). The rape was also reported to the Texas Tech Police Department.
Court records said Texas Tech tried to convince the victim to waive her right to an investigation and adjudication of formal complaints as soon as the first meeting with SCRSM. Court documents said the victim was coerced into signing an informal resolution. An informal resolution under Title IX is an alternative process to resolve a sexual offense complaint without going through hearings. The complaint claimed informal resolutions allow universities to quietly close cases out of public view. The lawsuit alleges this protects reputations and funding. These agreements only resolve university discipline, and do not determine a criminal sentence.
Court records said the victim had multiple meetings with SCRSM, where employees repeatedly told the victim she would relive her trauma over and over, and the process could take a long time. The lawsuit alleges SCRSM employees convinced the victim that an informal resolution was the only way to avoid exposing her to stress and confrontation. The complaint said this conduct was a Title IX violation regarding the victim’s voluntary consent in the resolution process. The lawsuit also claimed the university assigned the same person who investigated the case to facilitate the resolution investigations. Court documents said this also violated Title IX regulations relating to the investigator’s conflict of interest in the process.
After the incident, the complaint said Cearley was not expelled or suspended. Instead, the lawsuit stated the informal resolution required Cearley to donate $500 to Voice of Hope and write a 500-word essay on the importance of consent. According to Texas Tech’s rules, the sanction range for sexual assault ranges from suspension to expulsion. The lawsuit claimed Texas Tech never prohibited Cearley from being in the same classes as the woman, and the two continued attending classes together.
University’s history of handling sexual misconduct under scrutiny
The complaint highlighted Texas Tech’s own Chief Executive Officer annual reports, that show reports of sexual crimes, dating violence and harassment. The report showed from September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2023, Texas Tech received 296 reports of sexual misconduct, and only 17 were investigated, and none of them resulted in disciplinary action. In 2023-2024, the report showed 251 reports of sexual misconduct were made, 12 were investigated and three resulted in disciplinary action. In 2024-2025, 234 reports were made, 11 were investigated and one resulted in disciplinary action.
The lawsuit requested damages including court costs and attorney fees. A specific number was not mentioned.
As of Monday, Cearley and the Board of Regents have not yet filed responses to the lawsuit. EverythingLubbock.com reached out to TTU for a statement. An update will be provided if necessary.
My client was victimized once in a stranger’s dorm room and then again by a university that systematically coerces students to settle their Title IX complaints in secret to avoid public scrutiny and protect its own interests at the expense of student safety, welfare, and equality of educational opportunities.
Statement from Austin Champion, plaintiff’s attorney, provided on Monday
Public records showed Cearley’s criminal case in the 364th District Court in Lubbock County was still pending and has not yet reached a disposition.
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