RULING in N.Carolina: Title IX Could Become a Sex Offender Registry
Imagine being a first year college student and unfairly accused of sexual misconduct then convicted without due process–and then having your name publicly released. That is what might happen if a North Carolina judicial ruling is upheld. The release of the name of anyone convicted of sexual misconduct in a court of law is customary and correct. But college students in the North Carolina case have not been found guilty in a court of law. They have been found guilty by tribunals that many regard as campus kangaroo courts. “The Obama Administration’s 2011 “Dear Colleague” guidance forced universities to establish Title IX systems in which amateurs investigate and adjudicate alleged sexual assaults. The accused often lack legal counsel and may not get the chance to present exculpatory evidence. Instead of “guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” the Title IX system relies on the much weaker “preponderance of evidence” standard. A 50.1% tilt of evidence proves guilt.” The North Carolina ruling opens the door for the Title IX equivalent of a sexual offender registry.
www.iwf.org By Charlotte Hays
