ASU petitions for the expulsion of student involved in current Title IX case
A student at ASU explains her reason for signing the petition, saying ‘This is a vile excuse and makes me feel incredibly unsafe’
Early this year, Arizona State University student Brooke Lewis was sexually assaulted in her apartment. Despite finding the student responsible for the assault, the board recommended a two-year suspension and a course on sexual misconduct awareness.
In a story originally reported by babe, documentation showed that “the panel who investigates sexual misconduct at ASU wrote that a male student had sex with a female senior when she was too drunk to consent.” It had been decided that because he is a “significant member of the ASU community,” he should not be expelled from the university.
In the university hearing board the student’s success is called on as a reason not to expel him, saying he has a “3.9 grade point average and is considered an essential member of one of ASU’s research teams,” with no previous code of conduct violations.
The treatment of Lewis and of this case has many Arizona State students concerned. Some are waiting for more information to be release while others are petitioning for a permanent removal of the accused student.
Sun Devils Against Sexual Assault, a group of current and former ASU students, staff, and faculty who are “committed to ending sexual violence on/around campus and at off-campus programming” have created a petition on behalf of Lewis.
The petition is being sent to President Michael Crow and James Rund, the Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student services.
Rund has less than 20 days to consider the board’s recommendation.
Currently, the petition has the support of 405 people that not only include current students but also ASU Alum and people from all around the United States.
Comment from Change.org petition
Paige Strandstrom, a student at ASU, explains her reason for signing saying “This is a vile excuse and makes me feel incredibly unsafe.”
Comment from Change.org petition
Decker Dunlop echoes the same sentiment saying, “As a current ASU student, I think it’s absolutely unacceptable that ASU is intent upon fostering an environment in which rapists and assaulters are given a slap on the wrist. To argue that the academic contributions of the rapist outweigh the harm done sends the message that ASU values the rapist over the woman harmed. That is inexcusable. In light of ASU’s recent sexual harassment training for professors, it’s clear ASU is way more clearly concerned with covering their asses legally than actually creating an environment in which students, faculty, and workers are free from the threat of harassment, violence, and coercion.”