Brandeis Under Investigation For Handling Of Sexual Misconduct Case

The federal government is investigating whether Brandeis University violated a student's civil rights in its handling of a sexual misconduct investigation.

The case is unusual because the complaint, obtained by WBUR, has been filed by a student who was found by the school to have committed sexual misconduct.

It's also unusual in that complaints to the Department of Education under Title IX are generally filed by women.

In this case, the complainant, a man, accuses Brandeis of gender discrimination, saying another student was allowed to accuse him of sexual assault without giving him a hearing before disciplinary charges were brought against him.

He says his accuser was allowed to have a lawyer present during disciplinary proceedings while he could not.

The student also claims Brandeis denied him access to documents that would have allowed him to prepare his defense, and that the dean who disciplined him was not properly trained in handling complaints of sexual violence.

Brandeis has issued a statement saying it has "an utmost commitment to ensuring the safety" of its students.

More than 75 colleges and universities are now being investigated for violating the civil rights of students in cases of sexual assault on campus.