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Columbia University Accused Of Mishandling Rape Complaints
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 11, 2013
Modified Dec 11, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 11, 2013
Modified Dec 11, 2013
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Three Columbia University students claim the school "dropped the ball" on investigating their rape and sexual assault claims against a student athlete, the NY Post reports today. One said, "I [still] see him everywhere, and he can come into my residence hall — he has access to all of the facilities that I do."
According to the Post, two women accused the athlete of rape and another said he groped her:
The three women who told The Post they were attacked by the athlete said they were never encouraged by the school to go to cops. In two cases, the school also dragged out their investigations for months, they said. The women allege the athlete assaulted them at various times between fall 2011 and last April.
One woman who said she was raped never got a hearing because of “lack of evidence,’’ the school told her. Another alleged rape victim lost her hearing, and saw her appeal denied. Her case took seven months.
The alleged attacker was found in violation only of the school’s “gender-misconduct code” in the one case involving allegations of groping. But even that case dragged on for so long that his accuser graduated before the ruling came down, so he dodged his only punishment — staying away from her on campus.
This comes as students are petitioning the school to release information about campus sexual assaults: "In addition to requesting the number and nature of sexual assaults, rapes, and incidents of gender-based harassment reported...the petition also asks for the estimated actual number of incidents; the number of cases that are addressed with judicial proceedings; the number that end in informal resolution; the number and nature of interim measures taken; the number of cases in which the accused is found guilty by University hearing panels and the sanctions recommended in those cases; and the average number of days it takes to resolve each case."
Columbia University spokesperson Robert Hornsby told the tabloid, "Like our peer universities, we annually publish the number of reported sexual assaults on campus in accordance with the [federal] Clery Act... The University’s Presidential Advisory Committee on Sexual Assault is planning to meet with the CU Student Dems and other student leaders who have raised issues about additional disclosures in order to learn more directly about student concerns, share perspectives, and explore possible next steps."
However, peer universities have been having trouble with their sexual assault policies, like not alerting police of credible rape allegations and not expelling students guilty of sexual assault.
Tagged
columbia university
rape claim
sexual assault policy
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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