A Stanford University student accused of sexually assaulting an intoxicated sophomore in her dorm room had previously worked as a designated sobriety monitor at campus parties and publicly criticized the school for making student social events more difficult to organize.
Leo Rossitter, 24, an economics and data science major, allegedly raped the student after repeatedly attempting to kiss her and getting into her bed, according to allegations outlined in court documents.
Rossitter is expected to stand trial in Santa Clara County. A hearing to set the trial date is scheduled for December, The Stanford Daily reported.
In his role as a sobriety monitor, Rossitter was required to remain free of alcohol and drugs while supervising parties, responding to emergencies and monitoring students who had been drinking.
The position, which was often held by fraternity members, could also involve checking guests at the entrance to confirm that those consuming alcohol were legally permitted to do so.
Monitors were typically expected to remain on duty until parties ended and help arrange transportation, including cabs, for guests who were too intoxicated to travel safely on their own.
Rossitter had also previously voiced dissatisfaction with Stanford’s rules governing student parties and campus social life.
In an October 2022 article for The Stanford Daily about partying at Stanford, Rossitter said the university’s policies had created additional obstacles for students.
“Social definitely has a lot more headaches now. The University is putting up barriers [that] are unnecessary,” he said.
When asked to explain which restrictions he was referring to, Rossitter declined to provide details, saying he “[couldn’t] speak to that.”
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Rossitter in October 2024 with rape of an intoxicated person, oral copulation of an intoxicated person and penetration by force.
Stanford was aware of the alleged assault and, following an internal Title IX investigation, suspended Rossitter from the university for two years. He had been a member of the class of 2025.
Rossitter became eligible to return to Stanford classes this quarter, according to The Stanford Daily.
His attorney, Daniel Barton, told the outlet that Rossitter “is not guilty of the horrible things that he is accused of.”