REPORT: 48 Colleges in 21 States Show Over Half of Accused Students Found Not Responsible
An analysis of annual reports from 48 colleges in 21 states reveals that 52.7% of campus sexual assault adjudications resulted in a finding of “not responsible” for the accused student. The analysis includes only reports that specifically identify the outcomes for adjudications involving allegations of sexual assault. This finding is similar to a 2017 NCHERM report titled “Due Process and the Sex Police” that stated, “annual summaries show that they are finding no violation of policy 60% of the time in their total case decisions.” Most institutions review sexual misconduct cases based on the preponderance of evidence standard. In practice, this standard is essentially a measure of credibility of the statements of the accuser and the accused. The fact that a larger percentage of students was found not responsible demonstrates that most allegations investigated by colleges are determined to be unfounded. To see the outcomes of campus adjudications of sexual assault claims at 48 colleges click here: Below is a sample of seven colleges.
COLLEGE 2017Enroll PERIOD RESPONSIBLE NOT RESPONSIBLE
Amherst 1,849 2014 5 3
Brown 9,781 2016-17 0 3
Dartmouth 6,409 2016-17 4 4
Hamilton 1,883 2016-17 4 3
Occidental 1,969 2015-16 2 0
Stanford 17,184 2016-17 3 5
Yale 12,458 2017-18 2 4
A big thank you to SAVE: Stop Abusive & Violent Environments
