LYNCHBURG, Va. – A federal lawsuit has been filed against Liberty University and several senior executives, alleging that a former employee in the university’s Title IX office was terminated after he reported several Title IX violations.
The suit, filed on February 21, outlines claims made by Peter Brake, a lawyer and veteran who served as an investigator in Liberty’s Office of Equity and Compliance/Title IX from 2019 to 2024. Brake alleges that he reported multiple cases of sexual harassment and other Title IX violations, including incidents involving coworkers, to Liberty University President Dondi Costin, reports WDBJ.
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Brake also served as an adjunct professor at Liberty during his tenure. He contends in his lawsuit that his former supervisor engaged in harassment and improperly influenced Title IX investigations by “prejudging cases.”
The lawsuit states that Brake faced retaliation after bringing concerns about Title IX violations to university officials. Following a fine in 2024 in which Liberty paid $14 million for violations of the Clery Act — marking the largest Clery-related fine in U.S. history — Brake claims he identified additional compliance failures. He reported these findings to Liberty’s compliance officer Ashley Reich, but was allegedly met with hostility, including what he describes as a “humiliating and unusual interrogation” by the institution’s human resources department.
Brake took further action in May 2024, filing complaints against Liberty University with the U.S. Department of Education and a Title IX complaint against Reich. In June, he was terminated.
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The plaintiff further alleges that Liberty University violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which protects the employment rights of military members returning from active service, reports Religion Unplugged. According to the lawsuit, Brake took a 3.5-year leave of absence beginning in January 2020 to serve with the U.S. Army. When he returned from his military service, Liberty administrators reportedly referred to him as a “problem” and a “squatter” due to the university’s obligation to hold his position during his leave of absence.
Brake’s lawsuit seeks damages related to his physical health, career opportunities, wages, and professional reputation. He is also asking for an injunction to prevent Liberty University from continuing to violate USERRA and the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law.
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“In doing his job, Dr. Brake has repeatedly tried to protect the students and employees from the injustices occurring at Liberty University,” Brake’s attorney, Andrew T. Miltenberg, wrote in a statement. “He is coming forward now to hold Liberty University accountable after it harshly retaliated against him.”
The university provided the following statement to USA Today regarding the lawsuit, denying the allegations.
“Liberty takes all allegations of wrongdoing seriously and has impartial measures in place to assure the fair and equal treatment of all employees,” the statement reads. “While we will not respond to these allegations in the media at this time, we disagree with its claims and are prepared to defend ourselves in court.”
