Hofstra University rape case

The Hofstra University rape case was a 2009 false accusation of rape in which 18-year-old Hofstra University student, Danmell Ndonye, falsely accused fellow student Rondell Bedward, and his friends Jesus Ortiz, Kevin Taveras, Arvin Rivera and Stalin Felipe of holding her down, tying her up and gang raping her in a Hofstra University dormitory bathroom stall on the morning of September 13, 2009. A few days later these claims were revealed to be false when a video of the event was given to the police which showed that the entire encounter was consensual. Ndonye retracted her claims, was suspended from school and required to undergo mental health treatment. The prosecutor described her as "a deeply troubled woman". No charges were pressed. Allegation and incident: Ndonye accused five men of raping her on the morning of September 13, 2009. She stated that they had stolen her cell phone at a college party and then used it to lure her into a bathroom stall where they tied her down and took turns raping her as she screamed. She claimed she tried to call for help not realizing all five men were together. The four of the five men were arrested, held on $350,000 bail, spent three days in jail under protective custody, and all charged with first-degree rape, which carries a possible 25-year sentence. Rondell Bedward was also suspended from Hofstra. Kevin Taveras, one of the men accused, said that Ndonye was accidentally separated from her boyfriend at an on-campus party and began making out with his nephew, Felipe. Taveras told investigators Ndonye invited them to her dorm room. Taveras told her he had friends to which she replied "Bring 'em along. It'll be hot". Felipe asked her if she was sure, she replied "Yeah, sure, I want to". A few days later a fifth member of the group who recorded the encounter released the video which showed the encounter to be consensual. The 5 minute video showed Ndonye having sex with two of the men. Ndonye admitted that the sex was consensual and said that she had lied because she did not want her boyfriend to think of her as a "slut". All charges were subsequently dropped and Bedward was reinstated at Hofstra. Aftermath: Ndonye agreed in a private deal with Nassau County District Attorney, Kathleen Rice, to 250 hours of community service and one year of psychiatric counseling instead of facing charges. Emily Bazelon of Slate stated that cases like this invoke "raucous commenters to say women can't be trusted when they have sex they're not proud of" associating the incident with gray rape. The men involved stated, in prison, the false accusation made them "fear for their lives" and were "hounded as the lowest type of criminal". Stalin Felipe said the ordeal "traumatized us" and that his "name is forever tarnished". Anna Rittgers of The Washington Times writes that in such cases "these young men suffered the threat of expulsion, imprisonment, incurred extensive legal costs, and had their reputations trashed in the media in the process. Worst of all, there are those who will always think those men are rapists, despite all evidence to the contrary". In 2012, Ndonye agreed to settle a federal lawsuit filed against her by Rondell Bedward, but declined to discuss the terms of settlement.