Former U-Va. student seeks to block new U.S. law on campuses’ handling of sexual assaults

Today, The Washington Post ran this story about the Marsh Law Firm’s landmark civil rights action against the United States Department of Education and the University of Virginia. Here are some excerpts:

A former University of Virginia student hopes to prevent a new federal law on campus sexual assault from taking effect Friday, claiming it would undermine the investigation into her allegations that a classmate raped her more than two years ago.

A lawsuit in federal court in the District argues that the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act would allow colleges and universities to place a greater burden of proof on alleged victims, renewing the debate about which standard of evidence colleges must use in disciplinary proceedings in sexual assault cases.
…

James R. Marsh, the student’s attorney, said she is not alone. “These are young women on campuses at some of the most prestigious universities that are unable to achieve any just and fair treatment of their complaints,” he said.
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As of Thursday afternoon, the court had not responded to the lawsuit, which Marsh said he filed more than a week ago. He called his frustrations with the court’s handling of the case a “parallel for what these victims are facing at every single level.”
 

Read the full story here.

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James R. Marsh

Partner at Marsh Law Firm PLLC

A University of Michigan Law School graduate, James represents victims of campus sexual assault and rape; Title IX violations; sex abuse in schools, colleges, churches, and government and military institutions; online sexual exploitation; child pornography; sextortion, and revenge porn. His case on compensation for victims of child pornography in federal criminal restitution proceedings was recently decided by the United States Supreme Court. That case, United States v. Paroline, led to the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act currently pending in the House and Senate. James founded the nationally recognized Children's Law Center in Washington, DC, and is an experienced trial attorney, and frequent commentator, lecturer, and Huffington Post Blogger. He now leads Marsh Law Firm in New York which is recognized worldwide for its work helping sexually abused survivors obtain justice and rebuild their lives with dignity and respect.

Latest posts by James R. Marsh (see all)

• He said it was consensual. She said she blacked out. U-Va. had to decide: Was it assault? - July 14, 2016
• Victory! Court Rules The Campus SAvE Act Has No Effect On Title IX - March 24, 2015
• Rape On Campus: University Of Virginia Rape And Its Aftermath - November 23, 2014