In the latest policy development surrounding college-initiated investigations of alleged sexual misconduct, Georgia’s Board of Regents revamped the policies that colleges in Georgia must follow when investigating sexual misconduct cases on college campuses. The changes include requiring that college administrators are notified when a complaint is filed that could lead to suspension or expulsion, as well as requiring that University System of Georgia investigators assist college investigations as needed.
These new policies come on the heels of proposed legislation in the last session of the Georgia General Assembly that would have required Georgia colleges to report potential sexual misconduct felonies to a campus law enforcement agency or other appropriate law enforcement agency—rather than undertake an investigation on its own. The legislation would have required the appropriate law enforcement agency to determine whether and how to pursue an investigation and, ultimately, whether to turn it over to the local prosecutor’s office. The Georgia bill made clear that the college itself should not conduct the investigation.
