Sex crime defendants face uphill battle on college campuses

In most sexual assault cases on college campuses, it appears that the focus leans toward the victim. What happens, though, when a man is falsely accused of a sex crime at a North Carolina college or university? In many cases, those men are taking back their lives by suing the schools that unfairly violated their rights. Now, more cases are moving from the campus to the courtroom, according to news reports.

These lawsuits are just one component of a growing movement to reclaim men’s rights. These defendants’ rights are often ignored after they are accused of sex crimes. With the number of assault cases increasing in recent years, men are demanding more protection on campus from allegations of sexual assault.

At many schools, students are not entitled to have an attorney present during university hearings. Further, they are not permitted to directly question the people who are accusing them. Federal directives have also loosened protections for defendants, allowing the application of a lower standard of proof for a judgment of sexual misconduct. Defendants’ rights representatives say they see that the colleges seem to see a guilty judgment as a default for all sexual misconduct cases.

Allegations are continuing to rage about the large numbers of innocent students who are being unfairly punished. Although campus rights groups say that accusers still face a heavy burden in reporting their cases, it is still critical to protect the rights of young defendants. The rulings against such young men may be going the way of a recent judgment at Stanford University; instead of being expelled, one defendant was suspended for several quarters, and he was required to perform community service and take classes to prevent another offense.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “More college men are fighting back against sexual misconduct cases” Teresa Watanabe, Jun. 07, 2014