COLUMN: Kick Him Out
I wanted my last column before I graduated from Central Michigan University to be something uplifting with reverence to some Walt Whitman quote.
However, due to recent acts by the university, that’s not going to happen.
On Thursday, April 23, Central Michigan Life reported that a 24-year-old student sexually assaulted a staff member on April 15.
This student is out of jail on bond. CMU has allowed the student to continue classes with the understanding that this person must only enter certain academic buildings to finish courses.
The police believe he may have committed other sexual assaults, which would make this person a serial offender walking free on campus at this time. According to the recently-unveiled and updated sexual misconduct policy, the university may take interim measures prior to a student having a hearing with the university.
The policy gives a number of options for how to deal with alleged offenders until the hearing date. These include “one or more of the following:"
1. No contact orders
2. Residential reassignments or removal
3. Changes to employment assignments
4. Changes to academic assignments
5. Counseling
6. Temporary suspension, or
7. Temporary delay of graduation or other academic progress.
The university had a chance to do the right thing. Those involved in the decision to continue to allow this person on campus had the chance of temporarily suspending or delaying a sex offender from attending classes. Instead, it was concluded that a sex offender, with potentially multiple offenses, could be allowed to complete the semester.
The fact that the survivor of this event was a CMU staff member makes this decision even more concerning. I wouldn’t be surprised if this decision was made in the case of a student victim, but I am shocked that the university views its staff in such poor light with no level of humanity or reason. I don’t care if the victim was a janitor or if they were the dean of the College of Medicine. This response is unacceptable.
On top of this, the allegations the offender has serial offenses under his belt and has since attacked again shows that this person has a history of violence. Allowing him to be on campus to complete his classes tells me that the university doesn’t “take care” as it markets itself. There are few moments in which the ability to do the right thing falls perfectly within the grips of those who have the power to do so. When this case was placed in the hands of the university, it was clearly was dropped and walked on.
What kind of stamp does this leave on the university? One that reads, “If you commit an act of violence, we’ve got your back."
