Louisiana State University student Madison Brooks once worked at the bar where she met the four men accused of raping her shortly before her death, The Independent has learned.
On the evening of 14 January, Ms Brooks was at Reggie’s bar in Baton Rouge, where she reportedly encountered the men now facing rape charges.
Authorities say Ms Brooks - who was visibly intoxicated - was sexually assaulted by the suspects in a car after leaving Reggie’s. The suspects then allegedly dropped her off along a dark stretch of road in the early hours of 15 January. She was struck by a rideshare vehicle and killed soon after.
Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, and a 17-year-old male, unnamed because he’s a minor, have been charged with rape in the third degree. Mr Washington’s uncle Everette Lee, 28, and Casen Carver, 18, have been charged with principal to rape and were released on bond on Wednesday.
Kris Perret, an attorney for Reggie’s, has now confirmed to The Independent that Ms Brooks worked at the bar for a month, between 11 June and 11 July last year, as a “door girl” applying wristbands to patrons.
“She was terminated on or about July 11, 2022 after engaging in an altercation with another female employee,” Mr Perret said.
In the wake of the charges against the four men, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control suspended the bar’s liquor license on Tuesday because of “the seriousness of the allegations and the potential threat to public safety” following the revelations in the case, The Advocate reported.
Mr Perret addressed the suspension in his statement to The Independent.
“With regards to the current temporary suspension of Reggie’s license, the owners of Reggie’s will continue to cooperate with state and local authorities, as we have done since their first request for assistance in their investigations of this incident,” he added. “We look forward to meeting with State ATC and East Baton Rouge ABC officials as soon as possible to address their concerns and to insure they have all of the complete and accurate facts and all information they require to complete their investigation.”
Agency commissioner Ernest Legier said the suspension would be in place pending a hearing in February.
The president of STAR, a group that “provides supportive services to survivors to reduce their experience of trauma,” according to its site, told The Advocate that “alcohol did not cause her rape or her death”.
“The perpetrators caused her rape, which led to her being in a place that ultimately led to her death,” Morgan Lamandre added.
LSU President William Tate said in a statement earlier this week that Ms Brooks “should not have been taken from us in this way,” adding that “what happened to her was evil, and our legal system will parcel out justice”.
He said that “our collective grief and outrage” must prompt action to be taken against underage drinking, The Advocate reported.
Mr Tate said he plans to convene area bars and businesses for a meeting “to discuss how their responsibilities directly impact the safety of our students”.
“We will work openly against any business that doesn’t join us in efforts toward creating a safer environment for our students,” he added. “Enough is enough.”
The LSU Democrats and Feminists in Action said in a joint statement that “we are glad you are outraged ... but we insist that you direct this energy to fix the sexual violence our community faces instead of using alcohol as a scapegoat”.
The president of Feminists in Action, Myrissa Eisworth, told The Advocate that “by making it about alcohol, in a way, he also blames her for the situation because she was drinking and underage”.
“You should never blame victims in those situations. It was really hard to read,” she said.
