Apparently, the university changed the way it handles sexual harrassment charges at school now. The policy (from Columbia’s website, can be seen here:
http://www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/sexualmisconduct/policy.html
The highlights of this policy are:
A student no longer has the right to be present in the hearing when his accuser testifies, nor when any of the witnesses testify. In addition, they cannot cross examine the accuser or any of the witnesses.
The accused does NOT have a right to have an attorney present.
A five year statute of limitations. A person could be brought up on charges right before graduation for something he did (or might have done) as a freshman. A five year statue of limitations is akin to a five year suspension from college sports – it’s a lifetime.
According to an article in yesterday’s (Oct 4) WSJ (viewable here: http://www.thefire.org/offsite/wsj_columbia_100400.html ) (sorry, I couldn’t get a link directly to WSJ’s site.)
this policy was implemented because campus activits considered the procedures then in place a hinderance to punishment of offenders of sexual harrassment, date rape, etc.
HELLO??? Due process is a hinderance to punishment? Thank heavens it is!!
I realize that Columbia University is a private institution and it can set up any policy it wants, but, for heaven’s sake, why not just call the hearing room the Star Chamber already??
Personally (and I’ve never attended Columbia), I think this bodes ill for the direction this country is heading, if we are willing to accept the loss of due process for the “expediency” of punishing possible sexual harrassers.
Zev Steinhardt