• Indiana college accused of "retaliating" on students who reported sexual assault
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https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2018/11/15/purdue-accused-chilling-retaliation-sex-assault-reports/2012164002/ WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two former Purdue University students say the university kicked them out of school after investigators retaliated when they couldn’t find enough evidence to back claims that the women had been sexually assaulted, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. The suit, filed under the pseudonyms of Mary Doe and Nancy Roe, claims that Purdue is working under a policy – “either written or unwritten” – in which “women who cannot prove their claims to the satisfaction of Purdue decision-makers face discipline up to expulsion.” “I suspect there’s been some sort of overreaction over there to the way they were criticized for handling complaints,” said Jeff Macey, an Indianapolis attorney representing the two women and their claims that Purdue violated federal Title IX protections for victims of sexual assault. “But the school cannot be expelling or otherwise disciplining women if the investigation doesn’t come out in their favor,” Macey said. “And I’m afraid that’s what’s happening there. And that’s just a real chilling, chilling effect on victims who are complaining under the Title IX processes the university has set up.” The lawsuit claims the women didn’t know each other and that their reports of sexual assaults were not related. The suit also claims the reports about sexual assault were made about different men. Macey declined to answer questions about how they wound up in the same lawsuit. The women initially were expelled from Purdue, with their discipline reduced to two-year suspensions. Macey said the women, now 20 and 21, were treated “as if they were the accused harassers” by investigators who “made discriminatory assumptions” about their behavior, while dealing out smaller punishments to the men in each case. “Just because Purdue doesn’t believe you doesn’t mean you’ve maliciously set out to harm somebody, which is my understanding of what the standard is for expulsion,” Macey said. “You don’t want a situation where you have someone risking their academic career to even raise a complaint. And it appears Purdue’s moved in that direction. And to that extent, that’s the policy we’re challenging.”
Due process goes both ways. If evidence cannot be surmounted, it should be handled as "unproven", not "false."
Can't say as i've seen or heard this in the local news. I agree with ThighHigh though, it goes both ways. Shit like this baffles me: “You don’t want a situation where you have someone risking their academic career to even raise a complaint. And it appears Purdue’s moved in that direction. And to that extent, that’s the policy we’re challenging.” How many men have had their lives ruined and academic career brought to a screeching halt by false rape accusations? Before someone gets up in arms, that's not to say these girls WEREN'T assaulted but i don't believe Purdue is in the wrong here if they weren't.
Both individuals identities should remain confidential until a decision is reached, I don't know in this case if it applies, but if there was malicious intent and it was a false claim then yes do discipline them. Otherwise if it's indeterminate than just keep everyone involved in confidence.
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