RULING: Expelled Male Can Sue Drexel Over Alleged Bias in Title IX Investigation
Freshman Karthik Saravanan had a dysfunctional romance with a white freshman female at Drexel. Saravanan who is South Asian of the Indian race, claims he was sexually assaulted, stalked and harassed by his ex-girlfriend. His ex “threatened to tell their social group that he was mentally disabled or a homosexual” if he reported her assault. Saravanan reported her assault. Drexel called his rape complaint “ludicrous,” remarking “I have never heard of a female raping a male” and asked him, “why was your penis erect?- doesn’t that mean you enjoyed it?” Saravanan claims that Drexel exhibited a pro-female bias throughout his case. Saravanan was expelled while his ex-girlfriend was retroactively given probation. U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney noted in his opinion the need for balanced judgment when investigating campus sexual assault claims. Judge Kearney held that Saravanan did not adequately show he faced discrimination based on race. The case was ultimately pared down to a single Title IX claim of erroneous outcome of the disciplinary process, alleging that Drexel’s decision to expel him was motivated by gender bias, and a breach of contract claim.
law.com By P.J. Dannunzio
