Judge: Title IX Official Can Be Held Personally Liable for Helping Rape Accuser Lie

Rape is a horrific crime. One of the worst crimes imaginable. Not too far behind it: the false rape accusation.

When that happens, especially on an American college campus that has instituted the Obama-era Title IX guidelines, the accused finds his life basically destroyed. So what should happen if a school’s Title IX officer helps a rape accuser lie?

That’s the subject of a lawsuit against Ohio State University and its Title IX sexual violence support counselor Natalie Spiert. The lawsuit claims Spiert “knew or should have known that Jane Roe lied or misled the disciplinary board” in a case alleging sexual assault.

U.S. District Judge James Graham ruled Tuesday that Spiert can be held personally liable for her alleged actions in the case. Graham stated: “Universities have perhaps, in their zeal to end the scourge of campus sexual assaults, turned a blind eye to the rights of accused students.” He added: “Put another way, the snake might be eating its own tail.”

In this case, a woman accused a man of having raped her while she was blackout drunk. However, the accuser still texted him and met with him socially afterwards.

The accuser reportedly confessed to Spiert that she was in danger of flunking out of medical school following two years of poor academic performance, and had only informed Spiert that she wanted to file a rape accusation after being notified of her academic standing.

So the accuser allegedly reported a rape to leverage staying in medical school, telling a review board that she would report the rape if they would allow her to remain. They did, believing the rape negatively impacted her academic capabilities.

Now, it seems Spiert can be held personally liable for her actions, and not just the school itself.

This is a big win for due process. Title IX administrators hold a tremendous amount of power over the lives of accused students, and had been able to decree their fate without risk of personal liability. Consider that another Title IX administrator recently spouted postmodern nonsense about always believing rape accusers even after the accusations prove false — because an accusation represents “their truth.”

Such administrators need to be made to follow the laws of the United States. This is a big step towards restoring due process rights.