Panelists Call for End to Second-Class Justice in Campus Sex Cases

WASHINGTON / March 18, 2015 – Panelists at a recent media briefing called for major changes to the federally mandated system of campus disciplinary committees, which are now required to hear all allegations of campus sexual assault. The six presentations were made during a March 13 briefing held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

In her opening statement, national columnist Cathy Young criticized media accounts for failing to report both sides of campus rape allegations.

George Washington University Law School professor John Banzhaf argued that administrators at state universities are at risk of being sued for giving short shrift to fundamental due process protections from the accused.

New York City lawyer Susan Kapan deplored the “if she’s crying, she’s not lying” standard of proof currently employed by some campus tribunals.

Constitutional attorney Hans Bader revealed how recent federal mandates have created financial incentives for colleges to expel the accused, rather than to seek justice.

Representing Families Advocating for Campus Equality, Cynthia Garrett noted how affirmative consent policies are inherently biased against the man because they presume male initiation of all sexual encounters.

And former Auburn University student Joshua Strange revealed how the campus proceeding he faced was so biased that the decision to expel was evident even at the very beginning.

“Persons accused of rape deserve to receive due process protections, and victims deserve the full resources of the criminal justice system,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryl Hutter. “Anything less represents a deplorable case of second-class justice.”

The presentations are available in high-quality broadcast format: https://youtu.be/uERIh6DkAb0

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is working to promote effective solutions to campus sexual assault: http://www.saveservices.org/