Man charged with Hashinger Hall rape remains enrolled at KU
A Kansas University student who is free on bond after being charged with rape at a residence hall remains enrolled at KU.
University officials confirmed the man’s student status this week, adding that his residence is not a campus address. They would not say whether KU had taken any disciplinary action against him.
The law requires universities to conduct their own investigations into reported sexual assaults. KU cited confidentiality of those investigations.
“We can’t comment on this specific case. But KU does have policies and procedures that ensure the safety of the campus community,” KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said.
She pointed to KU’s Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Procedure document, which describes measures KU can take against accused perpetrators while the university conducts its investigation. Under federal Title IX law, acts of sexual violence fall under the umbrella of sexual harassment.
Actions could include anything from being ordered not to contact a victim to being temporarily suspended from campus, if deemed necessary to “protect the University community.”
“The University will take immediate, appropriate interim action before the outcome of the investigation and/or hearing to stop, remedy or prevent recurrence of the alleged harassment,” KU’s procedure says.
The criminal case against the student is now moving through the court system.
He and another man, both 21, were charged Oct. 9 in Douglas County District Court with rape of a victim incapable of giving consent. Charges followed a report by two women that they were sexually assaulted in the early morning hours of Sept. 28 in Hashinger Hall.
Both suspects were released from jail last week after posting $50,000 bond, according to court records. Attorneys this week requested that the probable cause affidavits, which would include details about the allegations, be withheld from the public.
The sheriff’s booking log lists the KU student’s home address as Olathe. The second man is a Lawrence resident, according to the log, and Johnson County Community College officials confirmed he is a student there.
The school is aware of the case against him and remains “ever vigilant” to the safety of its students, said Dennis Day, JCCC Vice President of Student Success and Engagement.
However, Day said, it’s unlikely the case — as the facts are known at this time — would lead to a Title IX investigation by JCCC.
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education and mandates that schools ensure a non-hostile learning environment. Day said JCCC would investigate reports of sexual violence that occurred at its campus or facilities or that involved a victim who was a JCCC student.
“Our main concern, our main responsibility, is to protect the victim’s rights and ability to be in a safe environment,” Day said.
KU is limited in disciplinary procedures it can impose against people who are not students, staff or faculty members, but anyone can be banned from campus, university spokesman Jack Martin said.