Safe Campus Act Losing Support from Fraternities, Higher Ed Groups, Bill Co-Sponsor
ByMaligned for aiming to curb campus sexual assault by blocking schools from conducting their own investigations into complaints, the Safe Campus Act (SCA) continues to lose lobbying support and appears on the verge of dying.
The Huffington Post previously detailed how a great amount of sexual assault victim advocate groups were outspokenly critical of the SCA. Around the same timeframe, the website noted that several fraternity and sorority groups and individual organizations were rescinding their support for the bill.
Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) introduced the SCA in late July and now even one of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and higher education groups are backing off the bill as well, The HP noted.
"While Rep. Garamendi originally felt that the bill could help streamline and standardize adjudications, a further review of the language left him deeply concerned about certain provisions in the bill," Donald Lathbury, a spokesman for the congressman, said in a statement. "The bill requires that victims report allegations to the police and await the results of a criminal investigation before internal disciplinary proceedings can move forward. This might go against the will of some victims, and result in lengthy delays of justice for others."
The fraternity and sorority groups withdrawing their support for the SCA may find themselves running into Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who have both long advocated for campus sexual assault reform.
"We want to commend these groups - who are critical voices in this national dialogue - for reexamining their approach to helping curb sexual assaults on our college campuses," the Senators said in a statement.
The SCA would restrict colleges and universities from conducting their own sexual assault and battery investigations. Students who file such complaints would automatically be forwarded to the local police, though the bill does not apply to any other campus crime.