The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

UJC votes to create sexual assault liaison

The University Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to replace the Sexual Assault Subcommittee with a sexual assault liaison Sunday night.

According to sexual assault subcommittee Chair Derek Yeung, this liaison will be a single individual who will attend Sexual Assault Board meetings and keep the UJC informed of its actions.

"We're trying to maintain UJC contact with the Sexual Assault Board and the rest of the University community," Yeung said.

According to Yeung, the vote is the result of changes made to the Sexual Assault Board constitution last spring, which ended the Board's use of UJC investigators.

"Now all investigation is done by people appointed by the Sexual Assault Board," Yeung said.

Before last spring, UJC investigators helped the SAB examine cases.

"As the Sexual Assault Board became more autonomous, our investigators stopped being a part of that process," UJC Chair Tim Ormsby said.

Although sexual assault technically falls under the first Standard of Conduct of the UJC, cases of sexual assault are all forwarded to the SAB, Ormsby said.

"Sexual Assault became its own issue, and the SAB has jurisdiction over that," Ormsby said.

Because the Sexual Assault Subcommittee no longer coordinates the investigation of sexual assaults it became unnecessary, Ormsby said.

"It didn't make sense for it to be a subcommittee anymore," Ormsby said.

Yeung is currently serving as temporary liaison and, according to Ormsby, Yueng will most likely be appointed to the official post.

"Derek is going to serve as liaison, he's been doing a good job," Ormsby said.

The dissolution of the subcommittee does not constitute a change in the by-laws of the UJC because the subcommittee's existence is not mentioned in them, Ormsby said.

"In no way does it mean that we're not interested in being a part of this discussion," he said.

Comments

Latest Podcast

From her love of Taylor Swift to a late-night Yik Yak post, Olivia Beam describes how Swifties at U.Va. was born. In this week's episode, Olivia details the thin line Swifties at U.Va. successfully walk to share their love of Taylor Swift while also fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.