SOUTH CAROLINA Students Accused of Title IX Assault Are Taking Their Colleges to Court
Emboldened by the federal government, South Carolina students accused of sexual misconduct are taking colleges to court over disciplinary procedures they call unfair. Colleges have been using a “preponderance of the evidence” standard for judging guilt, which essentially requires a 51 percent likelihood that an accusation is true. Critics said the policy had come at a cost to suspects’ civil rights because its low burden of proof bred false accusations. Tommy Brittain, a Myrtle Beach lawyer for a student at the center of the Coastal Carolina case, said the lawsuits are likely just the beginning of a push against a disciplinary process that can plague students forever, stating, “The policy is a complete mess, it’s an absolute nightmare. A guilty finding is not like a violation of a little school rule. It’s a life-changing decision.”
postandcourier.com By Andrew Knapp
