Prosecutors’ Group Backs Changes to College Campus Sexual Assault Investigations

Article here. Jump the paywall by Googling the first paragraph text and click the result that goes to the WSJ site. Excerpt:

'A national prosecutors’ group is backing a congressional proposal that would upend the handling of campus sexual assault cases, saying universities need to consult police before adjudicating and punishing potentially criminal offenses.

The National District Attorneys Association said it supports the recently introduced Safe Campus Act, which would require police investigation of sexual assault claims before schools begin disciplinary proceedings against accused students. The mandatory-reporting requirement would be a sea change from the current practice, as schools commonly handle allegations of sexual assault independently.
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Some backers of the Safe Campus Act say federal rules have put universities in the position of investigating, prosecuting, defending and judging cases. The Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee said the University of Virginia wrongfully suspended Greek activities after a Rolling Stone magazine article described an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house. A police investigation later found no evidence of a gang rape and Rolling Stone retracted the article.

“What’s becoming clear is that Congress recognizes the status quo is broken,” said Kevin O’Neill, the committee’s executive director. “Anybody who’s defending the status quo is going to be fairly disappointed.”

Civil-liberties advocates say mandatory-reporting requirements and the right to legal counsel are a step in the right direction. “At all campuses, there’s the question of the competency of campus amateurs to investigate and come up with reasonable findings,” said Joseph Cohn, policy director at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.'