A former student of the defendant filed a lawsuit after he was investigated and disciplined for an alleged sexual assault of another student. The plaintiff alleged in the complaint that the university committed numerous errors during its investigation and that these errors were evidence of sex-based discrimination in violation of federal Title IX and Illinois law. The district court found the errors were not sex-based and dismissed the claims and plaintiff appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that while the university committed errors while investigating the complaint against the plaintiff, those errors did not indicate sex-based discrimination and “at most” demonstrated a pro-victim or pro-complainant bias that could not support a claim for sex discrimination because both men and women can be victims of sexual assault. (SYKES and SCUDDER, concurring)
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Sex-Based Discrimination