RIT student fights sex assault accusation

http://www.13wham.com/news/exclusive/story.aspx?content_id=18361747-67E3-402C-99C8-DD5735457F5F

The main question I see here is the conflict between the civil justice system, which did not find cause to indict the student, and the university disciplinary proceedings, which used very different standards of evidence and proof. Wouldn't it have been fairer for the University to delay their proceeding until the criminal proceeding had occurred?

SNIP

"Taylor's case went before a grand jury in early May. Grand jury proceedings are not open to the public. Taylor's stepmother says he testified, and so did the accuser. Evidence in the case is sealed.

"The grand jury did not find enough evidence for the case to go to trial. The criminal case was officially dropped, but Taylor's troubles were far from over.

"Taylor asked the school to postpone his hearing until his criminal case was resolved. The school refused.

SNIP

Taylor's lawyers advised him to read a prepared statement, and to not answer any questions. They did not want him to talk about the incident, in order to protect his rights in the criminal case.

That may have been a big mistake."

"The private investigator visited the woman’s hometown. He discovered a restraining order she took out four years earlier against a high school classmate. The investigator tracked down the boy, who said she accused him of raping her and threatening her with a knife. The boy said the case was dropped after two of her friends told police she admitted making the story up. The boy was never arrested.

The private investigator also talked to a police officer in her hometown who said she made false allegations against a different boy. She told the officer she was sexually assaulted while walking home from a football game. She said another girl was present during the attack, but the girl did not back up the accuser’s story. The officer learned the accuser was being treated by a psychiatrist. The officer determined her story was a lie, and did not file a report or make an arrest."

Universities are the worst about unjust punishment for supposed sexual assault or harassment. OSU's includes "unwanted staring".

Sad but true, it happens more then society would like to admit

You never know the mental history of the person you're dealing with. The damage to your life can be as bad as a sexually transmitted disease, or worse.

the other person, is the message.

as much as I did my daughter. One thing I stressed was that he would be taking a risk ever having sex if he were drinking. Or if the girl was drinking. Or both.