FEDERAL Lawsuit: UMass Male in Limbo over Sex Misconduct Allegation, New DoED Rules
A complaint filed in federal court alleges John Doe completed undergraduate work but the college withheld his diploma over a complaint lodged against him in 2016. It notes the college’s actions “fly in the face” of standards issued by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in September 2017. “The Department promulgated the new guidance specifically to protect the due process rights of accused students and ensure fundamental fairness to all parties, but the University has ignored and continues to ignore these rights,” the lawsuit argues. However, John Doe falls outside the new DoED mandate because he has already graduated, leaving the plaintiff in a “punishing, extended state of limbo,” his complaint states.
www.masslive.com By Stephanie Barry
