Student activists at Ohio University might learn the hard way that you can’t go around making blanket accusations.

The College Fix reports.

Fraternity accused of ‘raping girls’ can sue student activists for libel, professor says

Advice to student activists: If you’re going to accuse an entire organization of “raping girls,” you’d better have a shred of evidence to back it up or you could get sued for libel.

The Ohio University Student Union, a liberal activist group, passed out a “tip sheet” Sunday saying the Acacia fraternity is “notorious” for “drugging their free drinks [at parties] and raping girls,” The Post reports:

Photos of the sheet appeared online, but were removed quickly.

Ryan Powers, a member of the OU Student Union, said Sunday night that the tip sheet was part of the union’s 10-page “disorientation guide.”

“We, the Student Union, believe in warning people because Acacia are notorious for this certain behavior,” Powers said. “We stand by our statements, however, we did not intend to implicate individual members of Acacia fraternity.”

Powers’ dissembling  notwithstanding, the Student Union could be sued for libel, according to Eddith Dashiell, a communication law professor:

“If this is a national organization, then the court may rule that the frat would have to prove actual malice,” Dashiell said in an email. “The creators of the pamphlet is (sic) accusing the fraternity of illegal activity. If I were the fraternity’s attorney I would force the creators of the pamphlet to prove that their accusations are true.”

It’s the second time in a year the frat has been accused of systemic rape based on rumors and hearsay.

A Post columnist last fall even implied the frat would target her with “violent acts” for encouraging students to sign a petition asking the university to investigate what she acknowledged were just “rumors” – local police told her no one “involved” had ever come forward to file a report against the frat.