LSU administrator gave rapists, stalkers and other Title IX violators slaps on the wrist
Kenny Jacoby, Nancy Armour and Jessica Luther
Wed, March 17, 2021, 8:13 AM
For years, the LSU administrator in charge of doling out punishments to rapists, stalkers and abusers regularly chose to issue the lowest possible sanctions, regardless of the severity of the alleged acts, a USA TODAY investigation has found.
In more than half the Title IX cases referred to him for punishment over the past four school years, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Advocacy and Accountability Jonathan Sanders imposed sanctions that allowed guilty students to continue their coursework uninterrupted, instead of opting for more severe penalties, such as suspension or expulsion. During that time, Sanders expelled just one student.
On top of this lenient approach, several women told USA TODAY that Sanders added to their trauma by disciplining them for minor, unrelated infractions or questioning them in ways that cast doubt on stories already found to be credible by Title IX investigators.
One female student told USA TODAY that Sanders questioned her about what clothes she was wearing the night she said a male student raped her while she was unconscious. She reiterated her claims to investigators hired by LSU to review its handling of abuse cases.
Two other female students said Sanders failed to contact witnesses in their cases against a fraternity member they reported for sexual assault in 2019.
Jonathan Sanders, LSU Director of Student Advocacy and Accountability
In 2018, Sanders was one of the officials who led the university’s response to allegations that football player Drake Davis violently beat tennis player Jade Lewis. During an investigation into one alleged beating, staff members reported finding a candle in Lewis’ dorm room, a violation of housing rules. The officials wasted no time citing Lewis for the candle, even as the case against her attacker dragged on for several more months. Davis later pleaded guilty in court to two assaults.
Sanders declined to be interviewed for this story. Through an LSU spokesman, Sanders defended his record on sanctions for sexual offenders, saying the punishments he issued were harsher than those of his predecessor. He also denied asking a student what she was wearing.
In an email, Sanders also disputed several aspects of the Husch Blackwell report released two weeks ago that criticized his handling of specific cases, saying the law firm in some cases made errors or took his words out of context.
Husch Blackwell is the firm LSU hired in November to investigate its handling of sexual misconduct allegations in response to reporting by USA TODAY.
LSU did not discipline Sanders after the Husch Blackwell report. Only two athletic department administrators – Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar – have faced accountability from LSU for contributing to a systemic failure to appropriately respond to dating violence and sexual assaults. They were suspended without pay for 30 and 21 days, respectively.
LSU Interim President Tom Galligan told USA TODAY on March 10 he had “no idea” why LSU had taken a lenient approach to disciplining sexual offenders in the past, but said he expects the school to issue more expulsions and suspensions going forward.
When asked whether Sanders would continue to head LSU’s accountability office, Galligan said he was not sure.
“I would have to definitely – we will review that,” Galligan said. “I would say, though, that everyone is existing in a culture where signals from the top are not – and maybe not the president, I think the president did make statements about Title IX enforcement – but other messages from the top in various departments were not clear.
“There was not a culture of enforcement and accountability.”
‘Worthless’ punishments
From the 2016-2017 school year through the 2019-2020 school year – while Sanders was in charge of issuing sanctions in Title IX cases – LSU found 46 students responsible for Title IX offenses, data obtained from LSU by USA TODAY show.
Title IX offenses include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence and stalking.
Out of 46 students found responsible, LSU expelled just one. It suspended 18 and gave lesser sanctions to 27.
Of the 27 issued lesser sanctions, 14 students received probation, 11 received deferred suspensions and two received warnings.
Under LSU policy, deferred suspensions, probation and warnings do not necessitate removal from classes or from campus. Deferred suspensions only result in actual suspensions if the student is found responsible for a subsequent violation.
A USA TODAY review of student disciplinary records from other comparably-sized institutions, obtained by USA TODAY via public records requests, shows that LSU’s punishments to sexual offenders were far more lenient.
From 2014 through mid-2019, Ohio State expelled 28 students – about 60% of those found responsible for sexual offenses in that time. Michigan State found 37 students responsible and expelled 16, or 43%. University of Central Florida found 34 responsible and expelled 12, or 35%.
At Ohio State, 24% of students disciplined for sexual offenses received sanctions less severe than a suspension. It was 19% at Michigan State and 9% at UCF.
By comparison, 59% of LSU students disciplined for Title IX offenses received lesser sanctions while Sanders was in charge of their punishments.
In other words, LSU allowed three of every five students found responsible for a Title IX offense to continue their coursework without interruption.
LSU deferred the suspension of one student found responsible for sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and unauthorized surveillance, the data show. It meted out the same punishment to another student found responsible for stalking, harassment, and endangerment. One was assigned a course on ethics and decision making, and both were required to attend anger management class.
The data does not include the names of the disciplined students, which LSU refused to release, or narratives of the incidents. “Sexual misconduct” encompasses rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and other nonconsensual sexual offenses.
The only student expelled under Sanders’ purview was Davis, who was found responsible for endangerment, disorderly conduct and residential life guest visitation violations. Sanders expelled him in July 2019 – 10 months after he’d already withdrawn from the school. By then, Davis had already been criminally convicted.
more: LSU administrator gave rapists, stalkers and other Title IX violators slaps on the wrist (yahoo.com)
Kenny Jacoby, Nancy Armour and Jessica Luther
Wed, March 17, 2021, 8:13 AM
For years, the LSU administrator in charge of doling out punishments to rapists, stalkers and abusers regularly chose to issue the lowest possible sanctions, regardless of the severity of the alleged acts, a USA TODAY investigation has found.
In more than half the Title IX cases referred to him for punishment over the past four school years, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Advocacy and Accountability Jonathan Sanders imposed sanctions that allowed guilty students to continue their coursework uninterrupted, instead of opting for more severe penalties, such as suspension or expulsion. During that time, Sanders expelled just one student.
On top of this lenient approach, several women told USA TODAY that Sanders added to their trauma by disciplining them for minor, unrelated infractions or questioning them in ways that cast doubt on stories already found to be credible by Title IX investigators.
One female student told USA TODAY that Sanders questioned her about what clothes she was wearing the night she said a male student raped her while she was unconscious. She reiterated her claims to investigators hired by LSU to review its handling of abuse cases.
Two other female students said Sanders failed to contact witnesses in their cases against a fraternity member they reported for sexual assault in 2019.
Jonathan Sanders, LSU Director of Student Advocacy and Accountability
In 2018, Sanders was one of the officials who led the university’s response to allegations that football player Drake Davis violently beat tennis player Jade Lewis. During an investigation into one alleged beating, staff members reported finding a candle in Lewis’ dorm room, a violation of housing rules. The officials wasted no time citing Lewis for the candle, even as the case against her attacker dragged on for several more months. Davis later pleaded guilty in court to two assaults.
Sanders declined to be interviewed for this story. Through an LSU spokesman, Sanders defended his record on sanctions for sexual offenders, saying the punishments he issued were harsher than those of his predecessor. He also denied asking a student what she was wearing.
In an email, Sanders also disputed several aspects of the Husch Blackwell report released two weeks ago that criticized his handling of specific cases, saying the law firm in some cases made errors or took his words out of context.
Husch Blackwell is the firm LSU hired in November to investigate its handling of sexual misconduct allegations in response to reporting by USA TODAY.
LSU did not discipline Sanders after the Husch Blackwell report. Only two athletic department administrators – Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar – have faced accountability from LSU for contributing to a systemic failure to appropriately respond to dating violence and sexual assaults. They were suspended without pay for 30 and 21 days, respectively.
LSU Interim President Tom Galligan told USA TODAY on March 10 he had “no idea” why LSU had taken a lenient approach to disciplining sexual offenders in the past, but said he expects the school to issue more expulsions and suspensions going forward.
When asked whether Sanders would continue to head LSU’s accountability office, Galligan said he was not sure.
“I would have to definitely – we will review that,” Galligan said. “I would say, though, that everyone is existing in a culture where signals from the top are not – and maybe not the president, I think the president did make statements about Title IX enforcement – but other messages from the top in various departments were not clear.
“There was not a culture of enforcement and accountability.”
‘Worthless’ punishments
From the 2016-2017 school year through the 2019-2020 school year – while Sanders was in charge of issuing sanctions in Title IX cases – LSU found 46 students responsible for Title IX offenses, data obtained from LSU by USA TODAY show.
Title IX offenses include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence and stalking.
Out of 46 students found responsible, LSU expelled just one. It suspended 18 and gave lesser sanctions to 27.
Of the 27 issued lesser sanctions, 14 students received probation, 11 received deferred suspensions and two received warnings.
Under LSU policy, deferred suspensions, probation and warnings do not necessitate removal from classes or from campus. Deferred suspensions only result in actual suspensions if the student is found responsible for a subsequent violation.
A USA TODAY review of student disciplinary records from other comparably-sized institutions, obtained by USA TODAY via public records requests, shows that LSU’s punishments to sexual offenders were far more lenient.
From 2014 through mid-2019, Ohio State expelled 28 students – about 60% of those found responsible for sexual offenses in that time. Michigan State found 37 students responsible and expelled 16, or 43%. University of Central Florida found 34 responsible and expelled 12, or 35%.
At Ohio State, 24% of students disciplined for sexual offenses received sanctions less severe than a suspension. It was 19% at Michigan State and 9% at UCF.
By comparison, 59% of LSU students disciplined for Title IX offenses received lesser sanctions while Sanders was in charge of their punishments.
In other words, LSU allowed three of every five students found responsible for a Title IX offense to continue their coursework without interruption.
LSU deferred the suspension of one student found responsible for sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and unauthorized surveillance, the data show. It meted out the same punishment to another student found responsible for stalking, harassment, and endangerment. One was assigned a course on ethics and decision making, and both were required to attend anger management class.
The data does not include the names of the disciplined students, which LSU refused to release, or narratives of the incidents. “Sexual misconduct” encompasses rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and other nonconsensual sexual offenses.
The only student expelled under Sanders’ purview was Davis, who was found responsible for endangerment, disorderly conduct and residential life guest visitation violations. Sanders expelled him in July 2019 – 10 months after he’d already withdrawn from the school. By then, Davis had already been criminally convicted.
more: LSU administrator gave rapists, stalkers and other Title IX violators slaps on the wrist (yahoo.com)
