Democratic Senators Call Out Fraternities For Wanting Fair Investigations In Campus Sexual Assault Cases
Two Democratic senators are pressuring Greek organizations over a bill that could determine who investigates sexual assault allegations.
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) held a conference call with reporters on Thursday over the Safe Campus Act, a bill regarding who can do what when sexual assault allegations arise. This is the same bill former Senate Majority Leader/Mississippi Republican Trent Lott is lobbying for.
From Slate:
The so-called Safe Campus Act would prevent colleges and universities from taking action to make their campuses safer under Title IX after a sexual assault unless the victim made an official report to law enforcement. Even then, the university would not be able to enact final disciplinary measures against the perpetrator until the police finished their investigation—a process that could take months or years, during which the perpetrator could remain on campus.
So, essentially, due process for the accused student or students. Insane, right?
McCaskill, a former Kappa Alpha Theta at the University of Missouri, sent three Mizzou fraternities letters recently asking why their nationals supported this bill.
Not surprisingly, McCaskill and Gillibrand are co-sponsoring a competing bill, the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, or CASA. That bill says, in short, that universities can investigate and take disciplinary actions against students accused of sexual assault even when the law enforcement investigation isn’t complete or even when police aren’t involved.
That is a scary notion.
Sexual assault allegations are messy no matter how you look at them. I have personally seen it time and time again: students lives absolutely ruined due to one false sexual allegation claim. The accusation comes up, the university catches wind of it, the fraternity is forced to kick the student out, the university “investigates” and expels the student, only for the accuser to admit in court that they weren’t raped and only made it up so they didn’t have to come clean about cheating on their boyfriend.
The evidence for the accusations doesn’t even need to be that strong for universities to suspend students or fraternities first and then, maybe, ask questions later. Universities’ reputations are at stake when any rape allegations arise, and it’s in their best interest to distance themselves ASAP.
Let’s leave the investigations up to the police. They’re good at more than just handing out MIPs..
[via Slate]
Image via Twitter
Girl at my school accused a brother of mine of drugging her and assault her in her sleep. The police investigated and found that the only drug in her system was cocaine and she talked on facebook with said brother about the multiple times she swallowed his little swimmers (if only Steve Holts Mom did the same). The police stopped the investigation and insisted my school do the same.
Her boyfriend (who was a PIKE) was not happy about this situation. Morale of the story, investigations are important, like very important. Otherwise, a person like my Brother could have their lives ruined because of one simple lie. However, if you do take advantage of someone, castration isn’t a bad option.
10 years ago at 4:00 pm