Will Biden Bring Back the Campus Star Chambers?
The new rules on campus sexual-assault charges are working. So why change them?
In April, the University of Arkansas became the first school in the country to admit the obvious: Procedures promulgated in 2020 by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos might have prevented an unjust finding of guilt in a campus sexual-assault case. In a letter to a student identified only as John Doe, the university’s coordinator for Title IX the 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal money acknowledged that, “given the closeness of the evidence in the case, the revised procedures could have led to a different outcome” for Doe. “Different outcome” is a euphemism for exoneration, avoiding a conviction by a star chamber that could have ruined this young person’s life.
After the student found responsible by a UA Title IX panel for sexually assaulting her received a $20,000 settlement from the university, a former UA student has started a petition demanding changes to the way university officials respond to sexual assault.
Gillian Gullett, who graduated in spring 2020, was raped while a student in 2017. After an initial finding of not responsible by the then-coordinator of the Title IX office, a three-person panel found the student she accused of the assault responsible and sentenced him to ten hours of community service. The student, who was permitted to remain anonymous, sued the university, claiming it mishandled the allegation against him. In a settlement agreement signed April 12, the university paid âJohn Doeâ $20,000, without absolving him of responsibility for the assault.
Petition demands change for sexual assault prevention on UA campus 4029tv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 4029tv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On a rainy Friday afternoon, chants of No more emails! No more show! âBoys will be boysâ has got to go! rang out on the UA campus.
Around 50 UA students and community members gathered on the grassy hill in front of the John Tyson Center for Excellence in Poultry Science to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, before lining the street to face the Administration Building.
The protest came a day after confusion and outrage erupted online over a $20,000 settlement paid by the UofA to a former student. The student had accused the university of mishandling a 2017 sexual assault allegation against him after a Title IX panel found him responsible for the assault. It also followed an email sent Feb. 17 that ignited conversations on campus about victim blaming. The email suggested avoiding leaving doors unlocked, and practicing caution when out alone at night or after consuming alcohol. It did not mention consent.
Two-time U.S. Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman reflected on her time as an elite athlete, her role as a sexual abuse advocate and her life after retirement Tuesday at the Distinguished Lectures Committeeâs first hybrid event since the pandemic began.
As captain of both the 2012 âFierce Fiveâ and 2016 âFinal Fiveâ U.S. womenâs gymnastics teams, Raisman won three gold medals, two silver and one bronze. Robyn Starling-Ledbetter, UA director of student media, moderated Tuesdayâs discussion, which covered the passion, pressure and success that comprised Raismanâs gymnastics career.
Soon after she started competing at an elite level at 14, Raisman earned three medals at the 2012 London Olympics when she was 18. She was unaware of the fame she would earn through her gymnastics success, she said at the lecture.