When news surfaced recently that Oregon State University’s star baseball player was a convicted sex offender, the local newspaper asked the institution: When did you know?
At age 15, Luke Heimlich molested a 6-year-old girl -- a family member -- The Oregonian unearthed. Heimlich, one of the nation’s top pitchers, hadn’t properly registered his status when he moved from Washington State, and so law enforcement flagged him in public court records, which alerted the paper. Reporters investigated, uncovering Washington court documents.
The baseball coach and athletics director at Oregon refused to comment. The university only released a statement.
Their silence raises concerns among sexual assault prevention advocates, as some have accused college athletes of receiving preferential treatment and being shielded from consequences, even for an offense as severe as sexual assault.
Athletes, particularly at larger, Division I institutions, often are campus pseudocelebrities, and advocates argue that they should not be revered or given special privileges if they committed a sex crime. Federal guidance suggests students should not be barred from an education because of criminal records, but because of their campus positions, athletes are often held to a higher level of scrutiny -- and should be, advocates say.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/06/20/colleges-have-lots-leeway-how-they-track-sexual-offenses