HISPANIC Male Acquitted in Court is Expelled by IUP. Male Sues IUP for Violating 14th Amendment
A former Indiana University of Pennsylvania student who was acquitted in separate trials last year of rape, alleged in a federal lawsuit that his expulsion by the school’s disciplinary board violated his constitutional right to due process. Jose Aponte, 24, of Philadelphia seeks unspecified civil damages against the university and IUP officials. The lawsuit alleges that Aponte’s Hispanic heritage contributed to his treatment and resulted in a “smear campaign” against him. “Aponte was deemed guilty from the moment of his arrest, and the stories of his accusers were taken as gospel because of their sex and prevailing stereotypes, even though the accusations made against Aponte were not true. The (disciplinary) hearing was simply a formality…by virtue of this suspension, Aponte was barred from finishing his finals and attending graduation.” He is asking the court to order IUP to confer upon him a Bachelor of Science in criminology.
triblive.com By Paul Pierce
