Ga legislator wants Bud Peterson fired

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I don't know that this in an appropriate thread for Tech athletics, so if the moderators think it is out of place, please remove it. BUT this is a very interesting article that appeared today in the AJC and certainly bears noting IMHO ---

Is lawmaker off base in calling for Georgia Tech president to go over campus sexual misconduct policies?
Opinion Blogs

By Maureen Downey

2

Posted: 2:25 p.m. Monday, March 7, 2016

State Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, is calling for the ouster of Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson over how the campus responds to sexual misconduct allegations.

Ehrhart sought to use his position as chair of the legislative committee that allocates college funding to punish Tech.

As Ehrhart told the AJC, “I cannot in good conscience continue to fund GeorgiaTech at the level that it requests without some assurance to parents that there will be due process for their children.”

Is this any way to run Georgia’s higher education system? While protecting a few Tech students he believes were denied due process, is Ehrhart short-changing the education of thousands of others?

First some history via AJC stories:

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BOB ANDRES / [email protected]
Jan. 25, 2016 - Atlanta - Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson was among the witnesses at a committee meeting, called by ... read more
With campus rape grabbing national headlines, Tech has expelled or suspended nearly every student it has investigated for sexual misconduct in the past five years, records show. And at Tech, officials finding a student responsible for non-consensual sexual intercourse must either expel the student or explain why they did not.

The school has also cracked down on fraternities, handing out a stiff sentence for a house where members were accused of hurling racial slurs at a black female student. But in its zeal to punish wrongdoers, there are signs Tech has pushed too far.

This month, the school was ordered to reinstate a male student it expelled last year after finding him responsible for non-consensual sexual intercourse, commonly known as rape. It’s the only time in the past five years the state Board of Regents has overturned any public college on a sexual assault case, records reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show. The case is one of two lawsuits pending against Tech President Bud Peterson, other school administrators and the regents by students arguing they were forced out of Tech unfairly after being accused of sexual assault.

Now Ehrhart is targeting the Tech president. He wants Bud Peterson out, telling the Marietta Daily Journal:

He’s up for his contract renewal come April. The Regents, I think they’re frustrated with him. The alumni, I think they’re massively frustrated with him. He’s costing them (the school’s reputation), he’s costing their sons and daughters a safe environment on that campus, and they’re fed up with it, I think. We need somebody like a Mitch Daniels at Purdue to come in and have the guts to stand up to these activists in their cabinets, sweep them out of there and do the right thing, and they just won’t do that at Tech.

A few weeks ago, a former state Supreme Court judge reviewed a high profile case involving a fraternity at Georgia Tech’s request. An African-American woman had filed a complaint against Phi Delta Theta, contending members of the fraternity shouted racial slurs at her from the windows of their campus house last year.

The fraternity denied the allegation, but Tech disciplined the frat, letting it remain on campus and recruit but banning it from Greek Week, homecoming and campus social events

According to the AJC:

In a review of the fraternity case process, findings and sanctions, former chief judge of the Georgia Supreme Court Leah Ward Sears found the fraternity’s sanctions were out of line with the university’s policies. Tech had requested Sears’ review.

Georgia Tech‘s policies don’t allow for whole organizations to be punished unless the group’s leaders are found to be complicit in the actions. A student judicial panel did not find Phi Delta’s leaders to be complicit in the August incident.

Although the sanctions were lifted, Sears’ review found that a student judicial panel had enough evidence to find that the racial incident did occur, and that the fraternity received adequate due process in the investigation and appeals process.

“It is important to recognize that race-based discriminatory acts or practices have no place at Georgia Tech where students should be able to learn and engage in activities without the disquietude of prejudice and intolerance, ” Sears said in a letter to Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson. “It is also crucial to call attention to the importance of fraternities policing the behavior of its members.”

One of the debate points in the Legislature has been whether Tech should investigate sexual misconduct cases. The AJC reported:

“Would it not make more sense, in cases of certain behaviors that touch criminal conduct … that the University System not, and purposefully not involve itself in (investigating those cases) and get professional law enforcement to investigate?” asked Rep. Rich Golick, R-Smyrna. “I would think this would be a relief to many administrators.”

Peterson said he did not disagree but said the matter was complex. The university disciplinary process has a lower burden of proof than criminal prosecution requires, which gives the university more leeway to take action.

But there are legal experts who believe in Title IX’s provisions against sexual discrimination and violence and its requirement that universities act on any charges of sex discrimination, sexual harassment or sexual violence on campus. In a letter to the AJC, attorney Carol Napier wrote:

State Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, is concerned about “due process” for students accused of sexual assault. As a lawyer, I am pretty certain Georgia Tech gives students all the process the Constitution requires. Ehrhart’s solution to his imagined due process problem: mandate police reporting of all campus sexual assaults, regardless of what the victim wants, and strip universities of authority to regulate the conduct of their students. (Title IX requires universities to investigate all complaints of sexual violence even if police are also investigating.) Ehrhart argues we have mandated reporting for child abuse, and therefore, we should have mandated reporting for campus sexual assault. Ehrhart is saying that women are essentially children and cannot be trusted to decide whether to call the police. Thankfully, Ehrhart will not win his war on university women. Why not? Because Tech women are much stronger and smarter than he, and Title IX has their backs.
 

JacketFromUGA

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Wait I'm confused.

Is he mad because Bud and tech are not hard enough on rapists or is he mad they are too hard? I literally can't figure it out from that article.

If it's the latter that's horse doodoo and Earl needs to not be elected anymore. "safe environment for their sons and daughters" by expelling kids who have what was it "non-consensual sexual intercourse, commonly known as rape."

I'm seriously confused here.
 

AE 87

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Wait I'm confused.

Is he mad because Bud and tech are not hard enough on rapists or is he mad they are too hard? I literally can't figure it out from that article.

If it's the latter that's horse doodoo and Earl needs to not be elected anymore. "safe environment for their sons and daughters" by expelling kids who have what was it "non-consensual sexual intercourse, commonly known as rape."

I'm seriously confused here.

Too hard on potentially innocent accused, apparently.
 

RLR

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  1. Don’t advocate for transparency when you have **** to hide.
  2. Don’t fight culture wars with $ when you’re quite literally the most responsible person for the housing crash in Georgia.
  3. There is 0.0000009% truth to the AJC article. If anyone else is willing or able to join my cause, let's bury this mut. ("Each USG institution is required to meet the requirements set by the BOR but has some liberties in how precisely they implement their procedures. source" http://nique.net/news/2016/02/12/comparing-usg-judicial-processes/)

WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?
(A) Blowback from GT fighting participating in the legislative process (blocking RIFRA or campus carry or supporting mass transit)
(B) GT research encroaching on Ehrheart's BS money scams

Powerful state lawmaker = UGA alum = Member of GA's Banking Committee during the housing collapse = Director of one of GA's most egregious failed banks / member of the banking committee at a time when GA lead the nation in bank failures. Cherry on top: state's biggest advocate for the payday loan industry.

As for saving the taxpayers $, his bank failure cost us at least $23 million. Also, let’s break down the revenue / expense for GA’s public colleges.

UGA only generates 100k more in tuition revenue than GT, despite having 25k more students (2.5 x greater than GTs total attendance).

GT generated $460+ million more than UGA in research money.

UGA’s traveling expenses are 233% more than GTs

UGA received $330 million in state funding. GT $215 million.

Other state funding: GTRI received $5 million; UGA Agricultural Experiment Station received 40 million.
 

Tech93

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I'm so sick of this do nothing Board of Regents. They should thank God everyday that GT is in this state or higher education would be irrelevant. Over half of them have no qualifications to be on the BOR, but for the good-ole boy system. I did not really read the above, so I am referring to the BOR in general. Any time I see reference to them, it makes me sick.
 

Northeast Stinger

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I continue to be unimpressed with legislators who have ties to uga. Their deleterious impact on quality of life for all citizens of the state would be funny were it not for the fact that it continues to make the state a joke to much of the rest of the country and the fact that real people get hurt every day by their antics.

And someone needs to do a clinical study on why they remain obsessed with all things Tech.
 
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I'm so sick of this do nothing Board of Regents. They should thank God everyday that GT is in this state or higher education would be irrelevant. Over half of them have no qualifications to be on the BOR, but for the good-ole boy system. I did not really read the above, so I am referring to the BOR in general. Any time I see reference to them, it makes me sick.
You need to read the article. For once, it actually has nothing to do with the BOR. I agree with some of those above who found it all very confusing; I do too.
 
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Augusta, GA
I continue to be unimpressed with legislators who have ties to uga. Their deleterious impact on quality of life for all citizens of the state would be funny were it not for the fact that it continues to make the state a joke to much of the rest of the country and the fact that real people get hurt every day by their antics.

And someone needs to do a clinical study on why they remain obsessed with all things Tech.
Although in general I agree with you, some of the UGA legislators were actually opposed to adding an engineering school in Athens a few years ago and vowed to vote no to any funding for said school. It would appear that some of the legislators have more sense than all of the BOR.
 

Northeast Stinger

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Although in general I agree with you, some of the UGA legislators were actually opposed to adding an engineering school in Athens a few years ago and vowed to vote no to any funding for said school. It would appear that some of the legislators have more sense than all of the BOR.
Thanks for that moderating tone. I need to be reminded of that.
 

JacketFromUGA

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I'm still at a loss of how he's saying Tech isn't safe for kids to go there when the opposite seems to be "let the frats rape people"

That doesn't sound very safe to send my kids to.
 

TechnicalPossum

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I'm still at a loss of how he's saying Tech isn't safe for kids to go there when the opposite seems to be "let the frats rape people"

That doesn't sound very safe to send my kids to.
A student shouldn't lose their right to due process when they walk onto campus. What GT ought to do is to refer these cases to the police and remove themselves from the judgement.

Having tribunals that the Institute leads where the accused are hamstrung in their ability to defend themselves, present evidence to their innocence, question their accusers, question witnesses against them, and/or retain legal council should be abolished.
 

herb

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Peterson has really ticked some of the wrong people off with the way he has handled some of these issues. The legislature allegedly did not fund a building for Tech the governor wanted in the budget because one of the senators, i think, refused to let it in. The senator is a Tech graduate by the way.
 

forensicbuzz

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A student shouldn't lose their right to due process when they walk onto campus. What GT ought to do is to refer these cases to the police and remove themselves from the judgement.

Having tribunals that the Institute leads where the accused are hamstrung in their ability to defend themselves, present evidence to their innocence, question their accusers, question witnesses against them, and/or retain legal council should be abolished.
Universities CANNOT refer these cases to the police and remove themselves. Title IX REQUIRES the University to perform an independent investigation, regardless of whether the police are involved. In terms of sexual assualt, it is incumbant upon the victim to decide the incident should be reported to the police.
 

TechnicalPossum

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Universities CANNOT refer these cases to the police and remove themselves. Title IX REQUIRES the University to perform an independent investigation, regardless of whether the police are involved. In terms of sexual assualt, it is incumbant upon the victim to decide the incident should be reported to the police.
Makes you wonder if the Title IX rules are flawed.

Additionally, to my knowledge, Title IX does not require the accused to be deprived of due process in such investigations.
 

jwsavhGT

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An interesting article...
https://medium.com/@eliotbeckham/an-assault-on-campus-1439cbb4c7d6#.qihtiu7eb

An Assault on Campus by Eliot Beckham
“If you don’t find a ‘safe space’ for men on campus, I’m gonna have a hard time finding space for your budget.”

A more patronizing political punch line is hard to imagine.

What is hard to imagine is how that line of thought becomes law. It’s easy to understand that good politics isn’t always good policy or that sound-bites aren’t sound bills. But when you follow through with that kind of threat, and punish Georgia’s students and young women for having done nothing wrong, cries for ‘campus due process’ require a little bit of a gut check.

Rep. Earl Ehrhart, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, has been entrusted by the people of Georgia with the duty of funding our world-class colleges and universities. He, today in the Marietta Daily Journal, admitted he abdicated that duty by slashing a budget request from Georgia Tech for a long-planned building renovation — explicitly in retaliation for Tech President Bud Peterson’s refusal to bend the knee. He has also called for President Peterson’s resignation.

During my time at Georgia Tech, I served on the Library Undergraduate Advisory Board tasked with giving student feedback to the team of university faculty and administration overseeing the Library Renewal Project. The planning dates back formally to 2013, and would bring Tech up to par with other colleges (like UGA) in measurable standards such as average study space per student. This would be done by renovating one of the oldest buildings on campus, establishing a partnership with Emory to store the physical collection, and redeveloping the space to cater towards what most college students use their libraries for: studying, not checking out books.

So it’s especially frustrating for me to see all the hard work the students I worked with, along with the excellent team the school put together, have poured into keeping Tech competitive as it fights to attract the best and brightest — not just in Georgia, but nationwide against private schools like MIT, Cal Tech, and Stanford — used as leverage to advance a political agenda.

If Rep. Ehrhart wanted to raise objection to the price tag, he could have. But instead, he has decided to end the conversation before it began with an attack on President Peterson, who has served the Institute with great distinction, and policies designed to protect Tech students.

There are problems with the current system, and we are definitely ready for a serious discussion on how to fix them. Current federal interpretation of Title IX is forcing colleges to reexamine their sexual assault policies, and there are bound to be some growing pains. The Board of Regents is working to establish uniform guidelines that will hopefully make many of these problems obsolete. And no one can deny that too frequently, due process in this nation comes up short when it tackles sexual assault.

So what kind of due process does Rep. Ehrhart want?

Does he want a crying mother testifying about the pain her son’s expulsion for sexual assault caused their family, like at his House hearing on ‘campus due process?’ Or does he want testimony on matters that are actually relevant to the student’s guilt, which the Board of Regents affirmed by rejecting his appeal?

Does he want to acknowledge that former Georgia State Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears found that Phi Delta Theta had been given due process by a student judicial panel, and that they had been presented enough evidence to conclude that racial slurs had been hurled out the window of the fraternity house at a passerby? Or does he want to stick to his talking point that “the very limited justice the fraternity is now receiving is shining the light on what I still consider a lack of due process?”

This version of ‘campus due process’ is no such thing. It is a political attack on attempts to protect women and minorities, because it gets his name in the papers in a way that appeals to his desired constituency. It doesn’t matter how many victims get put down on the way to a good quote.

The defunding of the library project and his call for President Peterson to resign, however, send a new message. Now, it doesn’t matter if the state’s most prestigious (sorry, y’all) university can effectively serve its students; don’t stand between Rep. Ehrhart’s crusade for undue process and the academic needs and safety of Georgia’s students.



 
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