Teenagers advocated on behalf of sexual assault legislation in Lansing Tuesday.
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Bill sponsor, Republican Representative Lana Theis, says there’s a gap in the law. She says officials aren’t able to kick a student out of school unless the sexual assault happens on school grounds.
“When we mandate that our children need to be educated, we need to make sure that we’re creating an environment for them where they are absolutely protected.”
Opponents say there are too many actions that are considered some form of criminal sexual conduct. Shelli Weisberg is with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. She says students should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
“If we really want to look at a criminal justice system as a process by which people can, yes be punished if they committed a crime, but also be rehabilitated, then we have to look at everything on a case-by-case basis.”
Gianna Duva goes to Brighton High School. She was raped by a fellow student off school grounds. Duva and her mother unsuccessfully petitioned the school board when they found out her rapist would be allowed to return to school with her after he finished his sentence. So they went to the Legislature.
Duva says she’s trying to help other students.
“I want to make it easier for them, I want to tell them that it’s not going to be – I want make it so they don’t have to go through what we had to go through.”
Duva’s assailant did not return to their high school. Representative Peter Lucido was acting chair at the hearing. He says they’ll likely vote on the bills next week.