WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY in St. Louis Dubbed The Worst Univ. For Due Process Asks Judge to Seal Acc’d Case
Washington University in St. Louis has twice earned the lowest ranking in America for sexual misconduct policies in the annual due-process report by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. It earned a score of zero on the 2017 report and one on the 2018 report. The scale is 20.The private university does not offer “timely and adequate” written notice to accused students, time to prepare with evidence, impartial fact-finders, “meaningful” hearing process, the right to present to fact-finders or meaningful cross-examination, active participation of an advisor, or meaningful right to appeal. It neither uses the “clear and convincing” evidence standard, the next step above the coin-flip “preponderance” standard, nor requires unanimity from adjudicators in decisions. Its sole improvement in 2018 was less-than-total presumption of guilt. If you didn’t think WUSTL could get any worse, look at its moves in court.
Following an ambiguous order from a federal judge in a due-process lawsuit by a student accused of sexual misconduct, WUSTL wants the lawsuit sealed. Completely. Including FIRE’s due-process report that names and shames the university. In an opposition filing Monday, the university said the “excessive detail in the Complaint and the sensitive nature of the subject matter” should render it unavailable to the public in any form. WUSTL wants the entire record hidden from the public “at least until” the judge rules on whether the accused student can seek relief.
thecollegefix By Greg Piper
