SALT LAKE CITY — A Republican state representative is proposing legislation to require that Utah colleges give immunity to sexual assault victims for conduct code violations related to alcohol and drugs and allow school officials to report serious assaults to police.
But a sexual assault survivor and an advocacy group are pushing back against the proposal, saying it wouldn’t stop schools from investigating many victims.
Bill sponsor Kim Coleman said the measure is meant to make sure institutions are taking the right steps to reduce these crimes, and handle them appropriately when they do happen.
The news comes about one year after Mormon-owned Brigham Young University faced a major backlash when it was revealed it was investigating sexual assault victims for violating the school’s strict code of behavior. The institution announced in October that it would revise this policy.
Madeline MacDonald, one of the students who reported being sexually assaulted while a student at BYU, said on Wednesday that a bill that only protects students from being investigated for violations related to alcohol and drugs would not have protected her.
“Drug and alcohol cases are a minority of the cases where women are scared to report,” said MacDonald.
