Rethinking how we deal with campus sexual assault

Article here. Excerpt:

'As the 2015 freshmen class navigates their first semester, sexual assault at our nation’s colleges and universities remains a topic of serious concern. The current system of investigating and adjudicating allegations of sexual assault on campus is broken. It does not serve the interests of students, schools or the public.

A recent poll by Penn Schoen Berland found that over 90 percent of likely voters believe that law enforcement — not colleges and universities — should be responsible for investigating and prosecuting allegations of sexual assault on campus. It is time to bring justice to campus, protect the rights of all students and student organizations, punish perpetrators and ensure a safe college experience for students.

Today, colleges and universities are frequently required to investigate and judge reported crimes of sexual violence without first involving law enforcement. Because schools do not possess the investigative and forensic capabilities of law enforcement, or the due process protections of the criminal justice system, this results in a deeply flawed process that is less capable of stopping and punishing perpetrators and more likely to violate the basic due-process rights of those involved. Recently, San Diego Judge Joel M. Pressman ruled that the University of San Diego did not give an accused student a fair hearing, sparking conversations nationwide about the need to overhaul this troubled system.'