Background
Plaintiff Isabelle Arana alleged sexual assault by student Quintez Cephus. The University expelled Cephus following an investigation. After Cephus was acquitted of criminal charges, the University readmitted him based on new evidence. Arana sued claiming the readmission and lack of additional safety measures violated Title IX.
The court’s reasoning
The court held that a school acts with deliberate indifference only if its response to known harassment is clearly unreasonable. The University provided accommodations, separated the parties, investigated, and imposed penalties. The decision to readmit the accused student after a criminal acquittal and new evidence was not clearly unreasonable given the absence of specific threats.
What it means going forward
Reinforces that educational institutions have discretion in disciplinary readmission decisions following criminal acquittals without triggering Title IX liability.