On March 12, ACS, along with The American Prospect and The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), presented a discussion of campus sexual assault, Title IX compliance, and due process. Currently, 95 colleges and universities are under federal investigation for alleged violations of Title IX based on the mishandling of sexual assault complaints on campus. Academic institutions have ramped up efforts to investigate sexual assaults, and the Obama Administration has announced a task force to tackle the issue and make campuses safer. Meanwhile, some have expressed concern, including 28 Harvard Law School professors, that while stemming the epidemic of campus sexual assault is paramount, the due process rights of the accused are not always sufficiently protected. Can universities crack down on sexual violence without violating the due process rights of either the accused or accusers?
Panelists:
Judge Nancy Gertner, Senior Lecturer on Law, Harvard University Law School
Alexandra Brodsky, Feministing.com editor, Yale Law School student, and founding co-director of Know Your IX
Lisa Brown, Vice President and General Counsel, Georgetown University
Caroline Fredrickson, ACS President, moderator