Sexual Assault Survivor Advocates Formally Oppose Safe Campus Act
ByIn a letter to the House of Representatives, 220 sexual assault survivor advocate organizations formally opposed the Safe Campus Act (SCA).
According to The Huffington Post, the coalition claimed the bill, currently awaiting approval from the House, "will not help in solving these problems and will, in fact, make campuses less safe for survivors." The SCA would require law enforcement involvement on sexual assault investigations.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), could wind up reducing potential punishments for those found responsible, as it heightens the burden of proof in student conduct cases. However, mandating police involvement could also heighten the chance of criminal adjudication for sexual assault perpetrators.
But the coalition argues the SCA takes decisions away from sexual assault survivors that they have a right to make, primarily whether or not to pursue a criminal investigation. As such, lawmakers like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) are seeking to increase the minimum punishment the federal government can levy against schools for Title IX and Clery Act violations.
"Those decisions are left to the authorities in charge of criminal investigation and prosecution, if a survivor chooses to pursue that course," the letter states. "The school's civil rights investigation and any law enforcement criminal investigation represent parallel and equally necessary paths. We completely reject the argument that only one system in our nation should be held accountable for keeping young people safe from sexual violence."
With the support of a number of Greek groups, Sen. Salmon argued the SCA not only relieves pressure from schools to investigate and adjudicate crimes they are ill-equipped to handle, but removes the pressure entirely.
"Colleges and universities are institutions of higher education. They are not investigatory bodies, law enforcement professionals, nor are they a part of the judicial system established and guaranteed by our Constitution," Tristan Daedalus, a spokesman for Salmon's office, told The HP. "The Safe Campus Act mandates that institutions of higher learning follow the same laws as off-campus landlords, religious institutions, private sector employers, and government agencies when dealing with the heartbreaking consequences of rape and sexual assault in our society. The suggestion that university deans and professors are somehow better equipped to end sexual assault than law enforcement, judges, and juries is bizarre to say the least."