Associate dean at IU accused of sexual assault
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) – An associate dean at Indiana University has been put on administrative leave, following accusations of sexual assault. An Indiana University spokesperson told 24-Hour News 8 Jason Casares was put on paid administrative leave, after the accusations against him became public on Wednesday.
Casares was also the president-elect of ASCA, a group that helps universities around the country with student conduct issues. An IU spokesperson said Casares resigned from the leadership role, though he remains a member.
Jill Creighton, a member of ASCA, is the woman accusing Casares of assault. She posted an open letter on Twitter, explaining the incident.
In the letter, she says that Casares took advantage of her after she had too much to drink at a conference in December. She reported the incident to police, and asked the group to impeach Casares. She says at that point, Casares resigned for supposed medical reasons.
The Chronicle, a national higher education news outlet, obtained a letter from the ASCA that said an outside group that investigated the claims against Casares found that the claims could not be substantiated, and closed the case.
The Chronicle also has a statement from Casares’ attorney. In it, Casares denies the accusations of sexual misconduct, and says Creighton is making false statements about him publicly.
On IU’s website, Casares is still listed as the associate dean of students, and Title 9 Coordinator. But his Twitter account has been deleted.
24-Hour News 8 has reached out to his lawyer, the ASCA and police in Texas for comment, but had not heard back as of 6:30 a.m. Friday.