University sued over handling of sexual assault case

Article here. Excerpt:

'In a federal lawsuit filed this fall against the University of Massachusetts Amherst and six of its officials, a male former student has joined other plaintiffs around the country in claiming that a school’s disciplinary process for handling claims of sexual assault violated his civil rights.

Disciplinary proceedings against the plaintiff and former student, Kwadwo Bonsu, began after a female student accused him of sexually assaulting her at an off-campus Halloween party in 2014.

A UMass disciplinary board eventually found Bonsu “not responsible” for any sexual misconduct — but not before he was kicked out of his dormitory, barred from attending classes and prohibited from seeking the advocacy of a lawyer in his hearing, according to the suit. The board did find him responsible for breaking the terms of his pre-hearing probation — a violation that led to his suspension in April.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield in late September, comes at a time of increased scrutiny over the way colleges and universities handle allegations of sexual assault, including punishments handed down to students after they are found responsible, but not criminally guilty, for misbehavior. In Bonsu’s case, the university investigation continued after Amherst police declined to pursue criminal charges against him.'