UI sees another two sex assault reports

IOWA CITY - For the third time since fall classes convened three weeks ago, the University of Iowa on Monday issued a warning about more sexual assault reports over the weekend - including one inside Kinnick Stadium.

The weekend's two assault reports bring the total to five on the school year, which began Aug. 25. Most of the reports have been similar in nature - occurring in a residence hall or in campus housing and involving suspects who were known to the victims.

But one of weekend's alleged assaults differed from the others in that the victim didn't know the suspect, and he committed the act in public, during the UI-Iowa State University football game inside Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.

According to UI police, a non-student female reported to officers that a white college-aged male with dark blond hair wearing a red shirt touched her inappropriately at the game. She was in stadium section 106-107 when the assault occurred, according to police.

More details about the violation were not released, but investigators are asking anyone who might have witnessed the crime - or anyone with information on a possible suspect - to contact police.

In a separate incident during Saturday's game, UI police arrested Shane Allen Smith, 20, of Iowa City, on suspicion of public intoxication at 3:45 p.m. in Kinnick Stadium. According to police, multiple fans were complaining about Smith 'groping females and being intoxicated.”

Smith, who reportedly was visibly intoxicated and aggressive, was asked to leave the stadium and refused. He was booked and released from the Johnson County Jail.

Dave Visin, associate director of the UI Department of Public Safety, said investigators don't believe Smith is connected with the sexual assault reported at the game, but they are continuing to look into it.

'We don't think it's the same person,” Visin said. 'He doesn't match the description.”

A Shane Smith is listed as a UI student in the online directory, and Visin said that although he doesn't face assault-related criminal charges at this time, Smith could face different sanctions by the university.

Despite the two reports from the weekend's game, Visin said he doesn't think sexual misconduct at Kinnick is trending up. He said it does occur from time to time, and officers do their best to support the victims.

'But there is no pattern,” he said.

The second report from the weekend came Monday from a female student who said she was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance in a residence hall early Sunday. No more details in that case were released.

The university sends out warning emails about crime reports, including sexual assault, to comply with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Last school year, UI officials broadened the scope of crimes that trigger a warning to include acquaintance sex assault, among other things.

The university in the 2013-14 academic year sent 14 'timely warning” emails, including 12 related to sexual misconduct. The increase in warnings, paired with controversial comments from UI President Sally Mason, prompted protests on the UI campus related to the university's handling of sexual violence.

In response, Mason rolled out a six-point plan to combat sexual assault on campus, including cracking down on offenders, improving bystander training and education, and putting more resources into campus safety.

Two weeks ago, UI officials debuted the university's first-ever sanctioning guidelines for sexual misconduct. Penalties range from probation to suspension to expulsion, depending on the violation and aggravating factors.

The university, before the public outcry, had not expelled any students for sexual misconduct - at least not in recent history - but the university in the spring expelled its first student for sexual misconduct. During the summer semester, another UI student was expelled for sexual assault allegations.

Before the expulsions, however, the UI did issue indefinite and five-year suspensions that equated to expulsion, according to UI Vice President for Student Life Tom Rocklin.

In 2011, 2012, and 2013, 21 UI students were suspended, 11 for sexual misconduct or domestic violence. None of those 11 returned to campus.

Despite the UI efforts crack down on offenders and curb violence, critics have said the university is failing. A group of activists earlier this month protested on the pedestrian mall their concerns over the assaults already reported this school year and the UI response.

But some have said the increase in reports could be a good thing - indicating, perhaps, that more people are feeling emboldened to report previously unreported crimes.