JURY AWARDS $100,000 To Male Who Boston College Punished For A Different Student’s Assault
Last month, a jury awarded former Boston College student John Doe $100,000 for how the college mishandled sexual assault allegations against him. The case, Doe v. Trustees of Boston College, is the first of its kind to reach a jury since 2011, when Obama-era rules began to govern campus sexual misconduct claims. It joins a long line of other such cases claiming that Title IX offices are breaking the law.
What Happened in the John Doe Case?
In court, Doe claimed the school ignored his claim that JK was the real offender. And the jury agreed, awarding Doe lost income for one year and a semester’s tuition.
Boston College Ignored Evidence and Due Process
Three aspects of Boston College’s malfeasance stand out. First, the college failed to observe basic due process, in particular by neglecting to take seriously exonerating evidence. Second, the porous Title IX processes at Boston College fail to protect against malicious or false accusations. Third, and the most significant is not legal but moral. Boston College appeared to have complete disregard, perhaps malicious disregard, for the wrongful treatment of one of its own innocent students.
Wrongful accusations, wrongful convictions, and wrongful incarcerations are among the most monstrous indictments of any legal system, since they represent the full power of the state used — abused — against an individual, who is by definition a weaker party. When deliberate abuse of power against the weak happens, it should be universally condemned and duly punished. In this case, Boston College appeared simply not to care about the truth.
Without a recognized, objective moral order, a justice system itself makes little sense, other than as a show where the powerful pretend to follow rules while railroading the little guy. Is that what Title IX has become?
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Original post 11/2019. Re-posted 4/2020
