Two of the three Brown undergraduates connected with allegedly committing a sexual assault of a female Providence College student last November remain enrolled at Brown and are on campus this semester, while the third has decided to withdraw from the University, the Providence Journal reported last week.
A grand jury chose not to indict two of the students last month after hearing the case, so they will not face criminal charges, The Herald previously reported. The third student, who is still a member of the football team, was not included in the grand jury investigation. The other two were on the football team but are no longer on the roster.
The three students exchanged a series of text messages that Providence police discovered after obtaining the students’ cellphone records through a search warrant. The messages revealed the involvement of the third Brown undergraduate. One message mentioned him “raping” the Providence College student.
The University is now undertaking its own investigation into the alleged incident as part of its responsibilities under federal Title IX legislation, the Journal reported.
The U.S. Department of Education initiated an investigation of the University in July for possible Title IX violations related to sexual assault, making Brown one of 68 colleges and universities currently facing a federal inquiry of this nature.
“We take seriously any allegation of sexual assault, and have fair and equitable policies and procedures in place that provide for taking action on the best information available to ensure the safety of all students and visitors,” Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, wrote in an email to The Herald.
“We are working to ensure that Brown is a leader in adopting recommended best practices to address often very difficult and complex situations when they happen.”
The University does not have access to records from the grand jury investigation, Quinn added.
“It bothers me that after the grand jury has spoken that any further inquiry is necessary,” Artin Coloian, a lawyer for one of the Brown students, told the Journal. “Any parent whose son or daughter is accused of something like this or is the alleged victim of something like this I’m sure would much rather have it adjudicated by the courts and law enforcement than an academic body.”
A previous version of this article's lede incorrectly described all three Brown undergraduates as having been investigated for the alleged sexual assault. In fact, two were investigated and the third was connected in police records.
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