The University Judiciary Committee will dissolve its sexual misconduct committee, the executive committee announced at a general body meeting Sunday.
The committee was created after the fallout from Rolling Stone’s “A Rape on Campus” article published in Nov. 2014. It aimed to help UJC forge better connections with other sexual assault prevention groups on Grounds.
The decision to dissolve the committee was in part the result of the University’s new sexual misconduct policy, which left UJC with no jurisdiction over such cases, said UJC Chair Mackenzie Austin, a fourth-year College student.
The committee also confused the way sexual misconduct was supposed to be reported, Austin said.
University cases of sexual misconduct are adjudicated by a committee appointed by the school’s Title IX coordinator.
UJC’s jurisdiction over cases of sexual misconduct has traditionally been limited as a result of Title IX, the federal law designed to protect students from gender discrimination in education.
The removal of the sexual misconduct committee does not mean UJC doesn’t want to be involved in the process of preventing sexual assault, Austin said. Instead, the committee will work more closely with current preventative measures.
“By engaging with the amazing bystander intervention efforts that are already occurring here at the University, we feel that we can help promote that community of safety and prevent violations of the Standards of Conduct,” Austin said.
UJC Senior Educator Mason Brannon, a third-year College student, said he felt similarly. Using UJC educators and members to continue the channels of communication between the UJC and sexual assault prevention groups is still a goal, he said.
“We definitely want to stay involved in these communities, especially bystander intervention,” Brannon said.
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