Colleges and universities continue to face scrutiny over how they handle sexual assault allegations. The legal environment may be changing, and institutions have faced criticisms both from those who say they have been assaulted, from those accused, and from local police forces.
Scott A. Roberts, a Boston-based lawyer who has advised many colleges on these issues, provides an overview on such topics as:
--The implications of a recent Education Department Office for Civil Rights letter to campuses on how they should review and revise their policies.
--The significance of “burden of proof” standards.
--The decision of whether to involve local police.
--The recent Justice Department inquiry into the handling of allegations involving the University of Montana, and the impact that case could have on other colleges.
--Common mistakes that colleges make – and ways to avoid them.
THE PRESENTER: Scott A. Roberts is co-managing partner of Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, in Boston, and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. His practice focuses on college and university law, and he argues cases in both state and federal courts. He is also a member of the College & University Law Section of the Boston Bar Association.
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Dealing with Sexual Assault Allegations
July 19, 2012