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Jan 09
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What to do if you've been accused of sexual assault - on or off campus _ shanlon wu

What to do if you’ve been accused of sexual assault – on or off campus

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The number one rule if you are accused of sexual assault on or campus is: do not communicate with whoever is accusing you. It’s natural inclination to want to make the situation better or explain yourself to the accuser, but communication can be construed as retaliation or further misconduct. Remember, communication is not just by speaking, calling, or texting. It also includes social media messaging such as through Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram. Even if you want to say some kind words or apologize, you need to avoid any communication. If you have been accused of sexual assault on or off campus, contacting an experienced student defense attorney can help make sure your side of the story gets told. Contact DC Student Defense today! VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION   Hi, I'm Shanlon Wu with DC Student Defense. If you are accused of a sexual assault on campus or off-campus, the most important...
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Dec 07
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The National Security Generation_ What Have We Learned Since Pearl Harbor_ Shanlon Wu

The National Security Generation: What Have We Learned Since Pearl Harbor?

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After dropping off my daughter at school this morning, I heard the radio station play the excerpt of F.D.R.’s address to Congress on December 7,1941.  Listening to that aristocratic nasally alliteration intoning about a day that “shall live in infamy,” made me think about how our generation reacted to the attacks on 9/11.  Would history judge Guantanamo Bay, the extraordinary renditions, the torture interrogations in the same light as FDR’s imprisonment of American citizens in concentration camps based upon their race? Looking back in time from 2017 to 1941, the use of Executive Order 9066 to imprison tens of thousands of innocent American citizens, depriving them of their homes, businesses, destroying their life, liberty and property seems blatantly wrong.  The nearly half-century it took for the United States to admit error and make reparations to the remaining elderly survivors seems too little and much too late. It’s a no-brainer for...
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Oct 28
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Suspend Yuli Gurriel from the World Series

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Yuli Gurriel’s “slant-eye” gesture and racist epithet during the World Series requires immediate suspension.  Gurriel, playing for the Houston Astros, directed his hateful racist gesture and epithet towards an opposing player, Yu Darvish, who was pitching for the L.A. Dodgers. The Houston Astros hastily tried to do damage control by making Gurriel available to reporters after the game. The Astros quickly shut Gurriel up when his remarks made it clear that he fully understood the derogatory nature of his actions and epithet. Gurriel referred to the fact that he had played baseball in Japan and knew (his words” “THEY don’t like that” – referring to his use of a racist epithet for Asians.  The press access was quickly ended. So what should be done? The answer is easy: suspend him.  Now.  Take away his ability to play in the World Series. Why? Because what he did cannot be undone. For...
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Aug 28
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Former ‘Fat Leonard’ execs get prison in Navy bribery scheme

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Two former high-ranking executives at a defense contracting company in Singapore will spend the next few years behind bars for overbilling the U.S. Navy roughly $35 million for servicing ships in Asia. It’s known as the “Fat Leonard” scandal, because the company involved in the fraud is Glenn Marine Group, which is owned by Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis. The two executives are Linda Raja and Neil Peterson, both of whom lived in Singapore. Raja was sentenced to 46 months, or almost four years, while Peterson got 70 months, or almost six years. They were arrested in Singapore in October of 2016. The two high-ranking executives pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to defraud the United States via false claims. How did the “Fat Leonard” scam work? Here’s a breakdown of how the mega military contractor defrauded the government: Peterson, Raja and other managers at Glenn Marine Group...
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Jul 27
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Why Cosby Probably Won’t Be Convicted

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The recent criminal trial of Bill Cosby made headlines across the world, and many were shocked to see that jurors were “hopelessly deadlocked” and a mistrial was declared. Cosby was charged with drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004, but Constand is only one of more than 60 women who have come forward in recent years and accused Cosby of drugging or assaulting them -- or both. Constand, however, is the only one who is still able to pursue criminal charges because of statutes of limitation, and she said she’s willing to testify again if and when prosecutors bring the Cosby case back to trial. Defense attorneys for Cosby might argue that there’s no point in bringing the case back for a costly and time-consuming trial since there’s likely no new evidence to be presented. But Shan Wu, a former federal prosecutor and highly respected defense attorney in Washington, D.C.,...
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Jun 05
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student conduct violations shanlon wu

A Mother and Father’s Day Letter About Student Conduct Violations

By college student defense

  “Is it too late?”   All too often, I get this question from a parent whose college student son or daughter has already been suspended or expelled for a Title IX violation, plagiarism accusation, or other student conduct code or academic honor code violation.  While it might seem obvious that a lawyer is needed if your son or daughter is accused of campus sexual assault or cheating, the reality is both students and families forego getting college student defense legal advice.  Why?  Here are some of the reasons parents and students give for failing to seek legal advice for a university discipline hearing: We Thought the School Would Be Fair Fairness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but consider this:  fair “trials,” “legal proceedings,” and “investigations” are conducted by lawyers, judges (who are lawyers) and professional criminal investigators (police and other law enforcement).  These professionals have…

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May 08
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Why Title IX Compliance | campus vs criminal sexual assault shanlon wu

Why Title IX Compliance Isn’t Enough: “Those Who Can’t Do … Consult?”

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George Bernard Shaw’s play “Man and Superman” contains the famous line: “Remember: those who can, do; those who can’t teach.”  The same may be said for Title IX consultants who offer training for colleges and universities in how to conduct Title IX campus sexual assault investigations. Title IX investigations should be conducted by Title IX investigators who have been trained by former sexual assault investigators, not consultants who merely instruct how to “comply” with Title IX law and guidance issued by the Department of Education.  Similarly, training for Title IX hearing panels should be conducted by Title IX trainers who are experienced sexual assault investigators.  Investigating a sexual assault is not the same as investigating sexual harassment. The skills and experience needed for Title IX campus sexual assault investigations do overlap with the skills and experience needed for criminal sexual assault investigations.   But the overlap works this way:  …

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May 01
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Nothing New Under the Sun: Melania Trump & the Art of the Plagiarist

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First Lady Melania Trump got a pass for plagiarizing former First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech because a staffer took the blame. But college students accused of plagiarism seldom get a pass. Graduate students, college students, high school students, professors and journalists all get accused of plagiarism. Unlike the First Lady they lack any staffers to blame, so they suffer the consequences. The consequences can be severe. At many schools, plagiarism results in sanctions ranging from an “F” on a paper to expulsion. Mid-range sanctions may include failing the course and receiving notations on the student’s transcript. Such notations range from temporary ones to permanent ones and can follow a student when they seek transfer, graduate school admission, security clearances and employment. Even worse, applications of all types often ask if the applicant has ever merely been the subject of or accused of any academic honor code violation. For professional academics…

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Apr 21
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sexual assault survivors george washington university shanlon wu

High turnover at university creates instability for sexual assault survivors who need services

By campus sexual assault

On the George Washington University campus, there are several positions that are set up solely to help sexual assault victims. But according to a recent article from the campus newspaper, there is a frequent turnover for these crucial jobs, and victims and experts say the high turnover rate “creates an unstable environment” for the vulnerable people who need support. The paper reports that there have been three victim services coordinators – who provide support for victims during the reporting process – over the past three years, with an interim filling the vital role since the fall. The school says the turnover rate has nothing to do with the job itself, and that it’s normal for institutions of this size to have these kinds of turnover. There’s currently only one full-time staff member in the Title IX office. Shan Wu, a former federal prosecutor who focused on sex crimes for the…

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