LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) —As the year comes to a close, we are all taking time to reflect on 2021.
These are the non-COVID-related stories that most resonated with our viewers in Lynchburg this year.
The Liberty University saga
FILE - Aerial view of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Credit: Sky13)
ABC13's Cynthia Beasley spent more than a year investigating claims of sexual assault at Liberty University. Those claims ultimately led to a lawsuit being filed against the university by 12 women, who allege the school weaponized its code of conduct, known as "The Liberty Way," to silence the young women making the accusations.
Since the initial filing of the lawsuit, more women have come forward, sharing their own stories and joining the dozen Jane Does in their legal quest to see change at Liberty.
An on-campus movement, Justice For Janes, is showing support for the women making the allegations and demanding the school address the concerns of the Jane Does and the student body.
The Title IX lawsuit follows what's been a rough couple of years for the school. There is, of course, the Falwell fallout and subsequent lawsuits between LU and Jerry Falwell, Jr. The school was also served lawsuits alleging discrimination against LGBTQ students, along with one filed by a former employee, who is Black and gay, as well as LU's former spokesperson, who says he was fired after speaking out about the university's alleged mishandling of sexual assault allegations. And, one of LU's professors was arrested and charged in the abduction and sexual battery of a student.
Back in April, a young man was killed after falling 175 feet from a train trestle at Riverside Park.
Police say 20-year-old Sean O'Hare and a young woman were taking photos on the trestle when a train approached. They both hung from the side of the trestle, but O'Hare was not able to hold on. The woman held on until a railroad worker got to her and pulled her to safety.
Details on these and many other stories from 2021 available HERE from ABC-13 WSET.