Why Are English Professors Adjudicating Sexual Assault Cases?

Last week on The Independents, Reason contributor Thaddeus Russell—who teaches at Occidental College, ground zero for campus rape politics—joined panelist Remi Spencer (a defense attorney and former prosecutor) to discuss a proposal by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) to have the federal government spend an additional $100 million-plus to combat sexual assault on campus.

This is the kind of subject tailor-made for simplistic, finger-wagging politics—what kind of moral monster wouldn't want to reduce campus rape?—but at The Independents, as at Reason, we are always interested in unintended consequences and individual rights, and do not take at face value the moral superiority of those who would spend our money and enable prosecutors (including de facto prosecutors with zero track record of criminal investigation). Take a look:

The classic treatment of this topic is Cathy Young's January cover story, "Guilty Until Proven Innocent: How the government encourages kangaroo courts for sex crimes on campus." One of many reasons you should subscribe to Reason today!