Lawsuit Names “Autism After 21” And FAU Board Of Trustees As Defendants.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A young woman with Autism was sexually assaulted by a summer program counselor on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University, according to a lawsuit just filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. The suit alleges that the assault took place during the summer of 2024 while the woman was enrolled in the “Summer Opportunity for Adult Readiness” program which is part of “Autism After 21, Inc.” Autism After 21 is headquartered at 3900 NW 23rd Terrace in Boca Raton.
According to the suit filed by Attorney Kimberly Wald of the Haggard Law Firm in Fort Lauderdale:
“In the summer of 2024, the women’s SOAR program was held at the FAU campus in Boca Raton, Florida, where Jane Doe resided in the dormitories from June 24, 2024 through July 4, 2024. On the night of July 3, 2024, a male counselor with Autism After 21 entered Jane Doe’s room, without her consent, and violently sexually assaulted her. Jane Doe did not provide consent, nor could she provide consent due to her Autism. Following this attack, the FAU Police Department investigated this matter. Per the assailant, Marcello’s statement to the police, he admitted that he had unwanted sexual contact with Jane Doe. He admitted the only reason he did not have vaginal sex with Jane Doe was because he did not have a condom.
Despite this admission to the police, according to Autism After 21 Director, Michelle Rubin, who is allegedly an advocate for Autism, her belief is that Jane Doe’s claims are “unsubstantiated.” (As she confirmed in an email to Plaintiff’s counsel prior to filing this lawsuit). Ms. Rubin allowed this pedophile and sexual deviant to not only be a counselor at the SOAR program but live in the same dorm as the women Autistic campers and gain unfettered access to his victims, including Jane Doe. Further, upon information and belief, there were prior instances of similar conduct which occurred at the SOAR program during the summer of 2023, which Jane Doe’s parents only learned of after Jane Doe’s incident.”
The suit accuses the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees of violating its responsibility to protect “students, residents, guests, and invitees, including Jane Doe, to provide a reasonably safe premises. FAU through its agents and employees, knew or in the experience of reasonable care should have known that no individual, including Jane Doe, had it within their power to take the measures necessary to provide fro their own security at the FAU dormitories.”
The suit seeks in excess of $50,000. Neither FAU nor Autism After 21 had filed a response to the suit processed by the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts as of Tuesday afternoon. BocaNewsNow.com could not locate records indicating that charges were filed or an arrest was made by Florida Atlantic University police regarding the incident. Check back for updates. Read the complete complaint here below.
