Dive Brief:
- Many young men accused of sexual assault on their college campuses are turning to the same law as their alleged victims to defend themselves — Title IX.
- Inside Higher Ed reports this tactic allows the men to argue their campus arbitration was biased against them because of their gender, and while several have won settlements from their colleges, no judge in civil courts has ruled in their favor yet.
- In perhaps the only case an accused student won, his lawyer argued negligence and breach of contract because the university didn’t follow its own policies in notifying him of the allegations and the hearing, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
As colleges and universities respond to intense pressure about campus sexual assault rates, some schools are now being criticized for going too far. Accused students and their lawyers are arguing the schools' hearings are unfairly biased in favor of the alleged victim. Many are taking their cases to the courts, but Inside Higher Ed reports a handful have even followed the same steps as victims of sexual assault in going to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, arguing a violation of Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in academics.
