Autistic Male has Consenting Fist Bump -Then She Accused Him,Twice. TitleIX Allowed Accuser To Be Vile.
A “fist bump” and a selfie may have ended Marcus Knight’s educational career at Saddleback College, right as it started. Marcus has autism, cerebral palsy and a shunt to relieve fluid pressure on his brain, and he was not allowed to defend himself against allegations in two Title IX investigations this past fall, said Aurora Knight, his mother. Her son cannot negotiate social situations as easily as others and he receives academic accommodations for his disabilities, BUT INCREDIBLY he was not offered accommodations when he was Title IX accused. Marcus’ mother became aggravated by the description of a consensual fist bump as “inappropriate.” She asked the coordinator “Did he touch her? Did he hug her? Did he follow her? Did he try to get her phone number? Did he expose himself?” When the coordinator allegedly said no to each, Aurora said she responded: “Then stop calling it inappropriate. He’s just trying to make a friend.” Aurora explained to Marcus that the female student did not want to be his friend, and he agreed not to interact with her anymore. A month later, the female student reported the incident as sexual harassment. The accuser changed her story to say Marcus hugged her, sat very close to her, grabbed her, and tried to get her hands onto his upper thighs. Aurora said that did not seem physically possible, that the female student had been sitting behind the counter. During the Title IX process, Aurora and her son were never allowed to formally defend him. When the Knights were called into a meeting with the Title IX coordinator and the police, they weren’t allowed to present evidence. Aurora received a letter in March informing her that Marcus was found responsible and suspended, and she appealed days later. None of their evidence had been taken into consideration. Saddleback college canceled the appeal hearing the day before it was to take place, and removed the suspension, leaving the sexual-misconduct findings in his record and requiring his assistant to accompany him on campus. The college said it would give her an explanatory letter to alleviate the effect on his record, but Aurora said she has yet to receive it. “Marcus is now confused and scared, knowing that people do not understand him at all.”
thecollegefix.com By Megan Keller
