The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the suspension of an Iowa State University Graduate student accused of harassment. Chad Brewbaker was suspended from his graduate studies position in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for repeatedly harassing another graduate student by sending e-mails and trying to contact her during 2008 and 2009.
Brewbaker was suspended under the university’s policy and was also charged by police and found guilty of third-degree harassment. He was given a suspended 30-day jail sentence on the conviction, and a one year suspension from the university for violating ISU’s policies. Brewbaker said it was double-jeopardy — being charged twice for the same crime — to be suspended by ISU.
The Court of Appeals found no double jeopardy violation, since the suspension was to protect the integrity of the ISU community rather than to punish Brewbake,r as was the case with the sentence on verdict in district court.
See the full ruling here: Brewbaker ruling PDF