WASHINGTON — The woman at the center of the now-debunked Rolling Stone article about a gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity is being forced to turn over documents related to the story.
The Washington Post reports the woman, known only as Jackie, will need to hand over communications she had with university administrators and staff, as well as Rolling Stone.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Glen Conrad ordered Jackie to produce the documents as part of a defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone filed by University of Virginia Associate Dean Nicole Eramo.
Jackie’s legal team argued that, as a purported victim of an alleged sexual assault, she could not be forced to provide the information. That argument was not successful.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision,” Libby Locke, a lawyer representing Eramo, told The Post.
Eramo’s attorneys say Rolling Stone was reckless in publishing Jackie’s claims, which did not hold up when scrutinized by the media and law enforcement.
