Belmont Sued by Former Student
- Olivia Abernathy
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A dismissed College of Medicine student is suing Belmont University and an anatomy professor for allegedly refusing to honor her accommodations and for unwelcome sexual advances, according to a federal lawsuit.
Ilyana Ilieva filed a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging that Belmont did not follow the Americans with Disabilities Act and that professor of anatomy Dr. Ryan Splittgerber “used his position as a professor with authority over her to make sexual advances and unwanted touches.”
Ilieva is asking Belmont for $1 million and Splittgerber for $1.5 million for compensatory damages. She is also asking Splittgerber for $3 million in punitive damages, according to the lawsuit, which was filed with the United States District Court for the Tennessee Middle District.
The lawsuit alleges that Belmont failed to uphold the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ilieva “has been diagnosed with and suffers from the following disabilities: General Anxiety Disorder; Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome; Colitis; and Enteritis,” and that these health issues were severely impacting her academics.
While Belmont’s Office of Accessibility granted her a reduced distractions environment for tests and exams and a flexible exam schedule, the College of Medicine refused to honor her accommodation of a flexible exam schedule, even though several other students in the college were granted this accommodation, according to the lawsuit.
Belmont filed an answer document on April 10 in response to the lawsuit, which alleges that Ilieva was granted all accommodations that other students were also granted, and that some of her requested accommodations were “an undue burden."
Ilieva’s lawsuit also accuses Splittgerber of unwanted sexual advances.
Splittgerber repeatedly placed his hands on her legs, back, hips, shoulder, neck and ear, pressed his face against her face and pressed his body against her breasts, according to the lawsuit. “In anatomy lab, Defendant Splittgerber was the professor in charge of that class. In that class, he pressed his erect penis against Plaintiff’s body.”
Belmont's answer denied any inappropriate behavior from Splittgerber.
“Belmont University strongly denies the claims outlined in this lawsuit and intends to defend itself through the appropriate legal process,” said Julia Copeland, director of public relations, in a statement on behalf of Belmont University.
“The University also maintains a thorough hiring process, including comprehensive background checks. The faculty member named in this lawsuit has no criminal history, and the University is not aware of any prior or current Title IX or HR lawsuits involving him,” said the statement.
Ilieva was officially dismissed from the College of Medicine on Feb. 25, 2025. She filed the lawsuit on Feb. 4 of this year. The case is scheduled for a jury trial on Nov. 2, 2027.
Neither Splittgerber nor Ilieva replied to a request for comment.
Written by Olivia Abernathy