We told you earlier this week about Allegheny College’s settlement with a male student who said he was wrongfully found responsible for rape. It’s still not known what “John Doe” got from the school.
Ashe Schow at The Federalist has the backstory on Doe’s Title IX proceeding, which include “some of the most egregious” allegations she’s even seen against a college by an accused student.
Not only was Doe deprived the details of his accuser’s claims until after he was found responsible and on the eve of his appeal hearing, but when the accuser’s friend came forward to say the accuser lied about being raped to get revenge on Doe, Allegheny doubled down:
“[Jane] is upset because [John] will not talk to her anymore and she can’t stand being at the same school with him,” the friend said. “She doesn’t want to leave Allegheny, so the only way to get him out was to claim that he raped her and to press charges.”
Investigators refused to interview this friend or allow John to call her as a witness at his appeal hearing. John says Allegheny Title IX Coordinator Katie Pope interrupted him during the hearing, which made his testimony confusing. She refused to allow him to present evidence that hurt Jane’s credibility. Testimony from Jane’s own friends who claimed she was lying was ignored.
Keep in mind Allegheny was just emerging from a federal investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights into its handling of rape claims when Doe’s accuser first complained to the school. It had changed its procedures to favor accusers.
Ask yourself if this procedure sounds remotely fair, and how your legally defenseless son or daughter would respond to a university that has all the lawyers and the control:
John provided [Title IX investigator Joe] Hall a list of witnesses who knew him and Jane, but was told that if he didn’t provide a written statement, the investigation would continue without him being able to defend himself. …
Hall told John the statement was inadequate and would not provide additional information about the accusation. Hall now said John had to submit to an interview (about an accusation of which he didn’t know the details) before he would be told more information.
The details that Hall turned over to Doe? That his accuser said he “did sexually assault me” on a given night. That’s it. When Hall finally did let Doe look at the “case file against him” and take notes, he was monitored and told “his notes would be destroyed if they were ‘too detailed.'”
When your child gets accused, lawyer up and threaten to sue immediately. Legal discovery is your friend, and schools will strongly consider backing off to keep their books closed.
MORE: College that withheld accuser’s claims from accused student settles his suit
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