City Council Member Wants Local Universities To Adopt 'Yes Means Yes' Policy
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia City Council member wants to coax local universities into adopting stricter standards on what constitutes a sexual assault based on a new concept adopted in California called "Yes means Yes."
California has adopted a new standard for what constitutes sexual assault on college campuses. No longer does the victim have to have said 'No.' Instead a case is can be prosecuted unless the victim explicitly said yes.
This applies to California schools that receive state aid, and the change theoretically makes it easier to prosecute alleged sexual misconduct.
Here in Philadelphia, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown is calling a hearing to debate the idea with officials from local colleges.
"First we need to gather information about how the universities in the area are already addressing this, since we do not have what California has now put on the books. Because we may indeed be surprised that many of our university have deep, steep measures in place to protect young people."
Unlike the California legislature, City Council has no power to actually mandate a change in policy. That would rest in Harrisburg.
No date set yet for the hearing, but Council is on its annual six-week winter recess and does not return until late January.
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