Like all parents, I am alarmed any time I read about rape or sexual assault occurring on our college campuses. My heart goes out to all victims of these heinous crimes. These attacks need to be immediately reported, promptly investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted. Victims should be supported in every way possible, and the perpetrators should be punished severely after being convicted by a jury of their peers.
Further, when these accusations occur on our campus, we must do all we can to make sure victims are treated with dignity and respect and have all appropriate resources made available to aid in their recovery.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the process by which the quasi-judicial proceedings of Georgia universities deal with accusations of this kind. Consequently, I have decided to hold hearings into this complex issue to make sure the General Assembly and people of Georgia are educated and informed, while also collaborating closely with the Board of Regents to protect the safety and rights of all students.
This spring, as the Board of Regents was finalizing its report on campus safety, I had numerous discussions with officials at the board and various universities.
They expressed apprehensions about the procedures being implemented on campuses, particularly given the pressure being exerted by the federal government. They question the level of proof required in hearings, as well as whether they are properly qualified to be handling the questions that will inevitably arise at these hearings. Finally, they are aware nearly 100 universities around the country have been sued by students involved in proceedings like these and would obviously like to avoid a similar fate.
Obviously, Georgia’s colleges and universities have the right to discipline students for various offenses, even if they don’t rise to the level of a criminal conviction; that is a right they must maintain. What I would like to see — and what I believe hearings with all interested parties around the state will help produce — is a consistent set of standards and procedures that would apply to all schools.
It is my hope these standards will accomplish the following: First, they should strike the appropriate balance between protection of the victim and the constitutional rights of the accused. Second, they should establish criteria to ensure university employees involved in the proceedings have the appropriate training to perform the task fairly and impartially. Third, they should attempt to protect the institution from potential liabilities and lawsuits.
I would hope these standards help Georgia become a model for other schools around the country.
I want to assure everyone these hearings will have only one goal: a set of standards that protect the safety, rights and well-being of all students on Georgia’s campuses. I owe it to the people of Georgia to find the best practices to deal with these situations, and I look forward to hearing from administrators, students, parents, law enforcement and experts from around the country.
Only by working together and being fully informed can we develop these standards and protect our children and young people.
State Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, is chairman of a Georgia House appropriations subcommittee overseeing spending at public universities.
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