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Recent IU sexual assault rulings to stand despite ethics head resignation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana University says student sexual assault disciplinary hearings overseen by former director of student ethics Jason Casares were conducted fairly and their rulings will stand.

Seventeen cases underwent a “comprehensive” review, the university said in a media release Monday, following Casares’ February resignation. Casares resigned after a woman claimed he sexually assaulted her at an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference in December 2015.

IU says Julia Lamber, professor emerita at the IU Maurer School of Law, analyzed each case file and listened to the full audio recording for every disciplinary hearing. She also interviewed panelists who had a hand in determining the outcome of the case, the school says.

“Casares always sought the opinions of other hearing panelists before offering his own, and at no time did hearing officers feel they were pressured into taking a particular position by Casares,” Lamber determined.

According to IU, the sexual assault incident involving Casares happened in Fort Worth, Texas, and was unrelated to his work on the IU Bloomington campus.

Jill Creighton, a member of ASCA, is the woman accusing Casares of assault.

In a 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 Casares then resigned for supposed medical reasons.

Casares was the president-elect of ASCA, a group that helps universities around the country with student conduct issues.