Tim Powers
Law Offices of Tim Powers, Denton, Texas
940.483.8000
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We recently discussed about the UVA rape allegations and how more universities were being put in the spotlight for their non-prevention of sexual assault. Here is another case taking place locally that shows that this is very serious and should be taken care of. We have talked a little about sexual assault after the UVA Phi Kappa Psi incident, but I would like to talk about another recent case.
When a student leaves their home and family and goes off to a school they want to feel welcomed. They want to make friends and do what it takes to make a name for them. In 2012, a student left his home and went to college for the first time, which most often makes students very vulnerable. He decided to go to SMU and partake in a rush event to join a fraternity and make new friends. One night, on a way home from a party, the student claimed one of the brothers made him do sexual actions to the brother in a parking garage. The individual did not want to do anything but was forced to. He later went to the school's authorities to plead his case which was later dismissed. A local crime report (protocol for the university) was sent out to students. It did not name the student but left enough detail for students to piece the information together. The individual was then harassed by his peers all around campus. He later switched to a different dorm where his RA was friends with the Sigma Epsilon Phi student who had sexually harassed the student. Eventually the student reported the incident to the campus police. It turns out that the Sig Ep, David Mahaffey (the one who sexually harassed the other male student) was a Sig Ep officer whose family helped fund SMU. Later after further investigation, Mahaffey was arrested after the police recorded a conversation between Mahaffey and the other student who was allegedly sexually assaulted. In the phone call, Mahaffey admits he knew that the freshman at the time did not want to do anything, but said he had to lie so no one would get in trouble. Mahaffey was then later indicted by the grand jury in November of 2012, but four months later his case was dropped due to the insufficient amount of evidence.
A couple of weeks ago, federal investigators faulted SMU for subjecting a student to a sexually hostile environment. The thing about these campuses is the fact that people are not held accountable. There are too many he said she said incidents that cause for no court filing so it's hard to say what really happened. However, it is wrong for administration to put down a student's case. These colleges need strict reliability on campus. Some of these schools have a hidden agenda to burry things because of the funds that they receive from families and the politics which later causes cases to get dismissed. Students live in fear that no one has their best interest at heart. Universities need to make it a priority to not just get the campus police involved, but to also get the other authorities involve and let them take care of the investigation. The school should not interfere with the investigations. This will overall make it a fair case.
If you are seeking aggressive criminal representation by an experienced criminal defense attorney for your Denton County criminal case or arrest in Denton County, contact the offices of Tim Powers today. There is no charge or obligation for the initial consultation. 940.483.8000
*Tim Powers is an attorney licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For legal advice about any specific legal question you should directly consult an attorney. Criminal Defense Lawyers with Unparalleled Passion for Success Providing Quality Representation for your Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Corinth, Highland Village Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Denton County, Tarrant County, Collin County, or Dallas County criminal case
http://www.timpowers.com/Blog/2014/December/UVA-Suspends-Greek-Life-after-an-Article-on-an-A.aspx
http://www.timpowers.com/Blog/2014/December/The-Bigger-Problem-Concerning-Rape-Law-Offices-o.aspx
www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/22/us/university-of-virginia-sexual-assault-allegations/