SJSU looks at response to sexual misconduct cases

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State University officials plan to take a second look at how they handle sexual misconduct cases in the wake of two reported assaults by one of the school's water polo players last month.

The school will review how it contacts students involved in sexual misconduct cases and when it informs the campus community of such incidents through crime alerts, university President Mary Papazian said in a statement Monday.

The water polo player, also an international student, is accused of carrying out the assaults off campus during Labor Day weekend and has been suspended from the school.

The university learned about one of the assaults immediately after Labor Day weekend and the other on Sept. 22, school officials said.

San Jose police investigated the allegations and the case was sent to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to review for possible criminal charges.

The school's Division of Student Affairs and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will look at how to improve how it first reaches out to students in such cases, Papazian said.

Students weren't informed of last month's assaults via the school's crime alert system because the student in question was quickly identified, she said.

While the school followed federal guidelines in responding to the reported September assaults, university police Chief Peter Decena will look at possible changes to the notification policies, according to Papazian.

The school also plans on holding discussions on campus throughout the year on sexual violence with the school's Title IX Officer Natalie Potts that will be facilitated by school experts, Papazian said.