Court: Student Punished for USC Sex Assault Didn't Receive Due Process

Article here. Excerpt:

'Wading into the fraught issue of sex crimes on college campuses, a state appeals court has reversed the suspension of a male USC student accused of participating in a group sexual assault against a female student.

The Second District Court of Appeal held that the male student, a USC football player referred to only as John Doe, wasn't given sufficient notice of the allegations against him or a fair hearing by the school before being suspended.

The ruling highlights the difficult task universities have in balancing accused students' due process rights with the concerns of victims and federal officials who have urged schools to adopt procedures to keep campuses safe.

Justice Audrey Collins acknowledged in Tuesday's unanimous panel decision "that universities need adequate tools to address the very serious and sensitive problem of sexual assault on campus." Still she wrote that "it is not too heavy a burden to require that students facing disciplinary action be informed of the factual basis for the charges against them."'