Male Student expelled after Sexual Assault Allegations
New Jersey – Over the past year, sexual harassment and sexual assault has been an ongoing issue in various universities. Rider University is on the list of universities battling sexual assault within their academic community. A male student was accused of sexually assaulting a female student. Prior to investigating the sexual assault claims, Rider University expelled the student. As a result of their abrupt actions, the university is facing a lawsuit from the accused male student.
In October 2015, the male student said he stopped by the male restroom in his dorm after he left a party. The same night he met the victim and her friend in the same male restroom after he made his entrance. According to the male student, both of the young women were intoxicated. After he departed from the restroom, the male student said the girls decided to go to a room with him and his friend. The male student claims the women were not coerced to go to the room.
After that night, the women informed the university’s security that they endured unwanted physical contact, “kissing and touching,” without consent. The women assured the campus security that those were the only activities that occurred that night. Shortly after, the women altered the original story they told campus security.
The story evolved from sexual harassment to alleged criminal sexual conduct. In the updated story, the women informed the local police that they were forced to perform oral sex. They women claim they had to fight to escape the room. The victim’s friend managed to get away, however, the victim was stuck behind.
The lawsuit explained that during the disciplinary hearing, the new story was revealed and the original story became nonexistent. In honor of fairness, all of the details regarding the sexual assault incident should’ve been presented at the hearing. The hearing indirectly catered to the victim’s sexual assault allegations considering the male student never received an opportunity to make a counterargument against the claims. The male student said he never received a document outlining the details of the sexual assault allegations.
In order for the male student’s questions to be answered, his attorney was required to send the questions to a third party, board chair, and he or she decided if the questions would be addressed or not. Medical records allegedly confirmed the sexual assault, but the male student and his attorney failed to receive a copy of the documented medical records.
After all the evidence was presented, the male student was expelled from the university without being offered an opportunity to share his side of the story. The school refused to offer any information or recordings explaining how they reached their verdict. The male student took an approach to appeal to the sexual assault case, and his request was denied without an explanation.
The Role of Title IX in Education
The university is responsible for the student’s sexual assault report reaching the prosecutor’s office. It appears that numerous universities have been accused of not taking sexual assault and sexual harassment claims seriously. In 2011, the federal government sent a notice to various schools informing them that they stand to lose their federal funding if they discover that schools are taking claims of sexual assault and sexual harassment lightly.
In response to the government letter, schools like Rider University, tend to side with the victim as a way of displaying how serious they are taking sexual harassment claims. Sadly, there’s a chance that the small percentage of innocent defendants may face severe punishment even if they’re not guilty. There’s no way to ascertain the truth unless all sides of a sexual assault incident has been disclosed.
Due to being excluded from the investigation and information regarding the verdict, the male student is suing Rider University for discrimination “under Title IX.” Title IX prohibits academic institutions receiving federal funding from discriminating against individuals in education.
According to a Title IX representative, the motive to take sexual harassment and sexual assault claims seriously may have fabricated an even larger discrimination issue. Out of fear of failing to comply with the federal law, Rider University did not conduct the proper investigation to be fair to both parties involved. The victim’s voice was the only voice that was heard.
Sexual Harassment Lawyer
If you have ever been falsely accused of sexual harassment or sexual assault and denied the opportunity to explain your side of the incident regarding sexual misconduct in an academic environment in New York City, Miami, New Jersey, or Philadelphia, contact a sexual harassment lawyer at 800-807-2209 for a free consultation.
Our sexual harassment lawyers are highly skilled in both sexual harassment and discrimination. They are available to help you understand the federal and state laws that protect you from sexual misconduct in education and provide the best legal representation in the area.
