TEXAS — A new bill has been passed by the House that requires all Texas colleges and universities to make note on a student's transcript if he/she is ineligible for re-enrollment due to a serious code of conduct violation, like sexual assault.
"This bill will help ensure that students found responsible for sexual assault, battery, arson, terroristic threats or other violent or destructive behaviors aren't able to enroll at a new school while concealing a previous expulsion for a serious offense," said State Representative Chris Turner. "This is a common-sense measure that will help keep students safe."
This comes months after Jacob Anderson pleaded no contest to the charge of unlawful restraint, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Anderson was a former Baylor fraternity president.
Anderson was originally charged with sexual assault in March of 2016 . Waco police said the victim was given a type of punch at a party in February, which made her become disoriented. He was accused of raping her and leaving her unconscious.
When news broke of his trial, he was attending the University of Texas in Dallas. UTD was unaware of Anderson's code of conduct violations, and the executive vice president said that lack of information concerning Anderson’s disciplinary record was the primary reason why his application slipped through the cracks.
UT Dallas said that Anderson would not be allowed to be on campus or attend graduate school.
"In the three years that I have worked on this issue, I have heard far too many stories about students who have committed sexual assault and other serious infractions being able to transfer to a new school without the admissions office being aware of their expulsion," said Turner. "Universities deserve to have all of the information available so they can make informed decisions about who attends their universities and how best to keep their campuses safe."
