The Eastern Back is a yearly publication by the staff of the AS Review. Anything contained here probably isn’t true- unless it is. Happy April Fool’s week!
By Erasmus Baxter
CW: Sexual Assault
Western has expelled a student found to have sexually assaulted another student, records show.
“Your behavior was despicable,” wrote Assistant Dean of Students Michael Sledge to the student. “And the fact that you tried to blame your behavior on alcohol instead of taking responsibility disgusts me to my core.”
The expulsion takes place immediately.
“While in the past we have waited till the end of the quarter to institute suspensions, your actions have forfeited that courtesy,” Sledge continued. “I see no reason why [the survivor] should have to see you on campus any longer.”
He told the student that returning to college would require him showing that he had changed, and would certainly not happen before the survivor had graduated.
The decision was unanimously upheld by the Student Conduct Appeals Committee.
Paul Cocke, director of communications and marketing, said he couldn’t comment on individual cases due to privacy law. However, he said that Western stands by its no tolerance policy for sexual assault cases.
“Title IX is very clear,” he said. “We must protect survivors’ right to an education. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.”
Sledge said he agreed to an interview to be as transparent as possible.
“I want to acknowledge we’ve made mistakes in the past,” he said. “While the student discipline process is meant to be educational, we’ve focused too much on that in serious cases. Sometimes the best education is letting someone know something is completely unacceptable.”
President Randhawa voiced his support in an email to campus.
“If my predecessor can promise to expel students over the Western Riot, the least I can do is promise to expel students who assault other students,” he wrote.
The university will begin releasing annual surveys of the student body about the prevalence of sexual assault, and Equal Opportunity Office statistics about investigations into sexual assault, sexual harassment and bias incidents, as well as the Clery Act statistics they are legally required to release, Randhawa said.
Though the statistics are public record, Western is releasing them to be as transparent as possible, Cocke elaborated.
“If students don’t trust the system, it doesn’t work,” he said.