A Columbia University student suspended from the storied institution in a sex case failed to prove he was discriminated against due to his gender, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The student, identified only as John Doe in court papers, had argued he was the victim of an ongoing, larger debate about Columbia’s handling of on-campus sexual assaults.
The student, who is from Florida, claimed a May 12, 2013, encounter with a friend — identified as Jane Doe — in a suite bathroom was consensual.
But the school was concerned about a perception of being too lenient and treated him unfairly during a subsequent investigation and disciplinary hearing regarding the encounter, he argued.
Columbia suspended him on Feb. 26, 2014, until fall 2015 for his “unreasonable pressure for sexual activity toward (Jane Doe) over a period of weeks,” according to documents.
Judge Jesse Furman said the student had simply not provided evidence he was intentionally discriminated against due to his gender.
“At most, the complaint identifies inadequate procedural protections provided to students accused of sexual assault — and behavior by campus officials toward such students more generally — that have the effect of burdening men more than women,” Furman wrote.