Macalester College expels student a week before graduation, siding with woman in 'messy break up,' lawsuit claims
Jul. 12—Having paid more than $500,000 in tuition and fees over 10 years, a former Macalester College student says he was expelled a week before graduation because of what he describes as a "messy break up" with a fellow student.
Ian Olson sued the college last week in U.S. District Court, alleging Macalester discriminated against him on the basis of sex and disability. He's demanding an undergraduate degree, monetary damages and that his student record be cleared of sexual misconduct findings involving his ex-girlfriend.
"Macalester refused to view Olson and Jane Roe's troubled relationship for what it was: a messy break up in which each student's actions were inextricably intertwined," the lawsuit reads.
According to the complaint, Olson is bipolar and on the autism spectrum, which contributed to his stopping and re-starting his education several times since 2010. He expected to receive a double bachelor's degree in neuroscience and philosophy on May 16, 2020, but was expelled eight days prior.
Olson says the trouble with his girlfriend — who was not named in the complaint — began in fall 2019, soon after she moved into his St. Paul apartment. He asked her over 50 times to find another place to live but it took 10 weeks for her to move out.
During that time, Olson said, the girlfriend threatened suicide, taunted him for his disabilities and removed an interior chain lock he had used to keep her out of the apartment, according to the lawsuit.
When Olson raised the possibility of filing a Title IX complaint with the college to force her to move out, the girlfriend beat him to it.
Quoting a summary written by the college, the lawsuit says the woman alleged in November 2019 that Olson made "unwelcome verbal and nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature, made anti-Semitic comments, engaged in acts of violence causing or threatening to cause physical harm" and destroyed her property.
After filing the complaint with the college, the woman told some of Olson's friends and associates that he was a "domestic abuser" and she feared for her life.
Olson filed his own complaint in March 2020. He claimed the woman had verbally abused him, repeatedly refused to leave his apartment, once threatened him with a small knife and said she'd take away his medications. He claimed the woman filing the complaint with the college in retaliation and had considered doing the same to a previous boyfriend after that relationship ended.
Olson says Macalester didn't take his complaint seriously because he is a man facing accusations made by a woman. And he said the college's procedures prevented him from fairly defending himself against her allegations.
Ultimately, the college found Olson responsible for domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and hostile environment harassment.
"Although Olson had not been on campus at any time during the spring 2020 semester and there was no evidence that he posed a threat to the 'college community' at any time, including over the past 10 years of his struggle to complete his bachelor's degree at Macalester, Macalester justified the severity of his sanction 'in order to protect the rights and personal safety of the complainant and the college community,'" the lawsuit reads.
Macalester later dismissed Olson's complaint against the girlfriend because neither were students anymore — Olson had been expelled and the woman had graduated.
In response to a request for comment, Macalester said Monday that it "takes its responsibility under Title IX, and all nondiscrimination laws, very seriously. We are committed to creating an equitable environment for everyone in our community. Because this is an active case, the college does not have any comment on the specifics or the case in general."
