According to the University of Michigan’s own policies, any student undergoing disciplinary action has a right to defend themselves against allegations and accusations. It’s a critical aspect of the American justice system and one that everybody has come to expect as being part of any criminal proceeding. But according to “John Doe”, a male student who was accused of sexually assaulting another female student on U of M’s campus, he has been denied his rights by the university. Of course, there is a big difference between the criminal justice system and a university’s disciplinary system.
He claims he was never given a chance to defend himself
John Doe (whose identity is unknown) claims that in the wake of the allegations made against him, he was denied any form of live hearing or cross-examination. This, he says, kept him from being able to tell his side of the story, or defend himself and ensure that he had a chance to refute the claims being made by his accuser. As such, he is suing the university. And the lawsuit has become very controversial.
Doe v. Baum was first filed in September 2016…
“Doe” – the unnamed undergraduate student – first filed a lawsuit against the university when U of M denied him due process in a case where a female student made claims with the University’s Office of Institutional Equity that Doe sexually assaulted her. When the claim was first investigated, it was determined that there wasn’t enough evidence of sexual assault, and the charges were dropped. But the female student appealed the decision, and the Appeals Board reversed the OIE’s decision. Similar things have occurred on college campuses throughout Michigan.
This ruling affected the defendant’s ability to graduate.
He was only a few classes shy of being able to graduate when ‘John Doe’ was told that if he didn’t withdraw from the University, he would be expelled. Not wanting an expulsion on his record, he withdrew, but that left him unable to graduate, and without a degree. In response, the defendant filed the initial lawsuit against the university, claiming that his due process rights had been violated and that the University had discriminated against him as a male accused of sexual assault. At first, the lawsuit was dismissed in federal court, but Doe’s attorney filed an appeal with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
A second male student made similar claims against U of M soon afterward!
John Doe, as it turns out, isn’t the only male student accused of sexual assault by a female student on campus, who believes that his rights were violated by the university. A second lawsuit was filed shortly afterward, where another male student made similar claims that the University of Michigan had violated his due process rights and that the university hadn’t even bothered to make him aware of the accusations against him, so he wasn’t able to defend himself when their investigator confronted him about the claims.
Being accused of a sex crime is life-changing in terrible ways!
Join us next time for more info on how these lawsuits are progressing, and how allegations of this sort can have life-altering consequences. Until then, remember – being accused of a sex crime is major! The impact those allegations will have on every aspect of your life – from your education to your personal life and even your potential freedom, are huge! That’s why it’s so important to choose the right sex crime defense attorney if you’ve been accused of sexual assault. Regardless of where you go to school – whether it’s U of M in Ann Arbor, MSU in East Lansing, CMU in Mt. Pleasant, Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti or any other campus in Michigan, call 866 766 5245 today and get help from some of the best and most aggressive sex crime defense lawyers around!