San Jose State Reconsiders Response To Sexual Misconduct Reports

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – San Jose State University officials plan to take a second look at how they handle sexual misconduct cases in the wake of two reported assaults by one of the school's water polo players last month.

The school will review how it contacts students involved in sexual misconduct cases and when it informs the campus community of such incidents through crime alerts, university President Mary Papazian said in a statement Monday.

The water polo player, also an international student, is accused of carrying out the assaults off campus during Labor Day weekend and has been suspended from the school.

The university learned about one of the assaults immediately after Labor Day weekend and the other on Sept. 22, school officials said.

San Jose police investigated the allegations and the case was sent to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to review for possible criminal charges.

The school's Division of Student Affairs and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will look at how to improve how it first reaches out to students in such cases, Papazian said.

Students weren't informed of last month's assaults via the school's crime alert system because the student in question was quickly identified, she said.

While the school followed federal guidelines in responding to the reported September assaults, university police Chief Peter Decena will look at possible changes to the notification policies, according to Papazian.

The school also plans on holding discussions on campus throughout the year on sexual violence with the school's Title IX Officer Natalie Potts that will be facilitated by school experts, Papazian said.

"Each of us must fully understand the gravity of sexual violence, harassment and discrimination and embrace our duty to help combat it," she said in statement. "To that end, I’ve asked Title IX Officer Natalie Potts to arrange a series of campus conversations, facilitated by our own experts as well as others, beginning as soon as possible and continuing throughout the year. This will supplement existing CSU-mandated and other training that already is offered."

In other university-related news from the region, also see:

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• Stanford Campus Police Investigate Siren Malfunction
• Santa Clara University IDs Suspects In 'Disturbing' Vandalism On Elevator, Bulletin Board
• Water Polo Player Suspended From San Jose State Following Sex Assault Accusations
• Stanford Grad Student Arrested For Alleged Sex Assault At Campus Housing
• Woman Reports Being Raped At Stanford Student Residential Building
• Law Inspired by Convicted Rapist Brock Turner Signed By Calif. Governor
• Woman Reports Sexual Assault At Sonoma State University Concert
• Police Seeking Person Leaving 'White Supremacy' Packages Around UCSC, Santa Cruz
• SJSU Identifies Students Who Drew Swastikas, Hateful Graffiti At Dorms

--Bay City News conributed to this report/Photo via San Jose State University