Congress is about to screw over your son

10-26-2011 Washington DC:

Did the headline get your attention?

This is the most important issue I know about for persons interested in men's rights. Radical feminists understand how important it is; too many persons concerned about men's rights do not.

The VAWA draft reauthorization bill being spearheaded by Senator Patrick Leahy would give teeth to the heavily criticized, anti-male, April 4 "Dear Colleague" letter issued by Russlyn Ali of the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.

The "Dear Colleague" letter represents an assault on innocent college men because it makes it much easier to find them guilty of sex offenses. It mandates that colleges find persons accused of sex offenses guilty if the "preponderance of evidence"--just a little over 50%--shows they did it. The vast majority of sex offenses on campus are lodged against men. Most schools currently use the higher "clear and convincing" standard, which protects innocent men by mandating that colleges are certain of their guilt before they are expelled and their lives are forever altered.

The draft VAWA reauthorization bill abdicates the responsibility to set the standard of proof in cases involving sexual assault and other alleged sex offenses to the the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

As OCR is currently constituted, this could scarcely be worse news for men on campus, or for persons concerned about a man on campus.

The most alarming language in the proposed law is found in the provision that tells colleges how they must adjudicate disciplinary proceedings involving sexual assault and other sex offenses:

"Procedures for on-campus institutional disciplinary action in cases of alleged domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, which shall include a clear statement that—

(I) such proceedings shall—

(aa) provide a prompt and equitable investigation and resolution;

(bb) be conducted by officials who receive annual training on the issues related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and how to conduct an investigation and hearing process that protects the safety of victims and promotes accountability;

(cc) apply the standard of proof recommended by the most recent Guidance issued by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights . . . ."

The dangers to innocent men posed by these provisions are innumerable, and they are chilling. Let us briefly describe them.

ACCUSERS ARE CALLED "VICTIMS": The draft bill unitizes language that is offensive to innocent men unjustly accused of sex offenses on campus. VAWA currently provides that schools should establish the procedure that "students" should follow if a sexual assault occurs. The reauthorization bill changes the word "students" to "victims." It also refers to the "accuser" as the "victim" even in situations where the college disciplinary hearing board has found in favor of the accused (e.g., it provides that the "victim" may appeal if she loses).

For the remainder of this post: by The False Rape Society