Sadly, sexual assaults have become all too common at universities and colleges. It is particularly disheartening to see the number of Division 1 institutions where reliance upon the prestige and money of athletics has allowed them to foster an environment where individuals of conscience are suppressed, morality is considered passé, and young women are considered collateral damage in building winning sports program. Couple that with pervasive alcohol consumption and a frequent “she said/he said” can be guaranteed. Problems are not being resolved and are often made worse by installing campus courts to dispense justice.
These courts are typically comprised of students, staff, faculty and and/or administrators without legal training or proper investigative powers, who hear cases and assess sanctions without significant punitive bite. Young women are stigmatized and harassed at almost every step after an incident. The university doesn’t want bad publicity, which is bad for recruiting and bad for business. The athletics program can’t afford to lose star players. Alumni and boosters don’t want to be deprived of entertainment and it appears no one can live with mediocrity or even worse, a losing program.
