Makéna Solberg’s lawyer submitted an email outlining that a settlement had been reached in her lawsuit against former Phi Gamma Delta, also known as FIJI, members for allegedly sexually assaulting Solberg in September 2020. 

“It wasn’t easy, but I had a strong support system of people who stood by me; and it was important that I kept pushing even when it was difficult,” Solberg wrote in a statement prepared by her lawyers. “What was done to me shouldn’t happen to anyone. Ever. Every student should be able to go out, socialize at college, and feel safe.”

After four years of lawsuits that spotlit the culture surrounding sexual assault on college campuses and fraternities, the settlement would finalize the case against FIJI and divert a jury trial that was scheduled for Nov. 5 in Tama County. 

Solberg accused three former members of FIJI, Carson Steffen, Jacob Meloan, and Broc Hawkins, of allegedly sexually assaulting Solberg while she was intoxicated at a party hosted by the frat. 

The lawsuits alleged that there were video recordings and photographs of the assault that were spread among FIJI members and on social media, according to court documents.

On Sept. 5, 2020, Solberg was publicly identified as a victim of sexual assault by a change.org petition that garnered over 80,000 signatures and sparked multiple campus protests in 2021. 

One of these protests had over 2,000 protesters gather outside of the FIJI house, breaking windows and spray painting the building. The protesters called for the UI to remove the FIJI chapter. 

The FIJI house sustained over $200,000 in damages, according to court documents. A request by the defense was granted in August 2023 to relocate the trial to Tama County due to extensive media coverage. 

District Court Judge Kevin McKeever wrote in the request filing that while sexual assault cases can cause heightened emotions, it would not normally lead to media coverage of this extent.

The trial was postponed several times until eventually arriving at the Nov. 5 date. While litigation continued, lawsuits began to get dropped.

In January, Solberg’s separate lawsuit against Broc Hawkins for spreading video recordings of the assault was dismissed with prejudice, meaning Solberg could not refile. The filing did not include details of the dismissal. 

Over the summer, the lawsuit against Jacob Meloan, who allegedly was involved in the assault, was also dropped with prejudice.      

RELATED: Former UI student drops FIJI, one fraternity brother from sexual assault lawsuit

Now, with a pending settlement in the lawsuit against Carson Steffen, there is no other litigation set in the case. The notice of the settlement did not include any details on an agreement between the two parties.

A statement provided by Carson Steffen’s lawyer Leon Spies says Steffen thanked the support of his family, friends, and legal counsel through the ordeal.

“Carson Steffen has been steadfast in believing that, with the encouragement and support of his family and friends, Iowa’s court system would pave the way to bringing an end to the host of accusations made against him as well as his lawsuit against Ms. Solberg,” the statement read. “The settlement he and Ms. Solberg reached together with steps yet to be taken mark the end of an extraordinary legal ordeal.”

The resulting pushback of four years of sexual assault allegations has resulted in changes to the university’s approach to Greek life and sexual assault.

The university now requires fraternities and sororities to participate in a violence prevention workshop. Over 2,000 members participated in the workshop last year. 

Resources for sexual assault on campus have also changed in recent years. The UI transitioned the Rape Victim Advocacy Program’s services to the local nonprofit called the Domestic Violence Intervention Program at the start of October. 

This change reduced the number of on-campus sexual assault advocates to two, who are now housed in the Women’s Resource Action Center on Clinton Street. 

According to the most recent crime report released each year by the UI, sexual assaults spiked in 2023. Compared to 2022, cases of rape doubled in 2023 with a total of 51 reported incidents. 

However, that number was still lower than the 54 reported rapes in 2021. Campus Safety’s Vice President Mark Bullock told The Daily Iowan they discovered in 2023 that over half of the sexual assaults were perpetrated by one individual over multiple years, which inflated the numbers. 

Bullock did not confirm the identity of the individual but did say the person was a member of the UI Health Care system. 

James Burkhalter, who was a former UI social worker, is currently charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist for incidents allegedly occurring between 2019 and 2022. 

In the FIJI case, both parties are required to submit formal settlement documents within 60 days of the settlement notice or the matter will be referred to a judge for further review. 

Solberg’s attorney Eashaan Vajpeyi, wrote in a statement he hopes this case shows that survivors of sexual assault should not stay silent.

“Since September of 2020, Ms. Solberg has sought justice and accountability. By pursuing her civil case until the end, reaching resolution with all parties she has met that goal,” Vajpeyi wrote. “She hopes that her efforts and example will allow others to see that justice and accountability is possible and that they need not be silent when their rights are violated.”