LA Times- UC student regent faces sexual battery allegation; board chair says no immediate action

University of California Board of Regents Chairman Russell Gould said Wednesday that he would not rush to judgment about whether student regent Jesse Cheng, a fifth-year UC Irvine student, should stay on the board while UC reviews a former girlfriend’s allegation of sexual battery by Cheng.

The Orange County district attorney's office has declined to press charges against Cheng for lack of evidence. But the UC Irvine office of student conduct this month found Cheng responsible for a student code violation for sexual battery, defined as unwanted touching in a sexual manner. Cheng, who maintains his innocence, said he was trying to decide whether to appeal the campus ruling.

As the regents met Wednesday in San Francisco, representatives of feminist groups urged the board to oust Cheng as one of the two student representatives on the panel. Gould said he took the matter “very seriously” and said any appeals would need to be completed and then a regents committee would examine the issue to see if any action should be taken.

Cheng, 22, who is majoring in Asian American studies, did not attend the meeting, saying he did not want his presence to be a distraction. In a telephone interview, he said he has no plans to resign.

LA Times

Feminists To Picket UC Regents Over Sexual Assault Case

In late October, Laya filed a complaint of sexual battery and attempted rape against Cheng with the Irvine, Calif., police department. According to Laya, the complaint alleged that Cheng had invited Laya, his former girlfriend, to dinner at his apartment on October 4, where he allegedly tried to compel her into sexual intercourse despite her repeated verbal refusal and physical resistance.

In a subsequent exchange of emails, Cheng appears to have admitted and apologized for what he did to Laya. (He now says, “I fabricated the content of the e-mails just to get her off my back, because 50 calls a day were really breaking me in half.”) However, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office refused to prosecute, asserting that there was insufficient evidence to mount an investigation.

For five months after that, Laya sought acknowledgment of what allegedly had been done to her. She says this was difficult, since Cheng was a popular campus figure, known for his progressive stances on issues. Appointed by the UC Board of Regents as Student Regent, Cheng represents the more than 220,000 students in the system’s ten campuses.


Full article here:
http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/03/15/feminists-to-picket-uc-regents-over-sexual-assault-case/

Women Challenge UC Regents Board: Stop Condoning Rape Statewide Actions to be Held in California

MEDIA ADVISORY CONTACT:
Katrina Socco
Coordinator, AF3IRM – SF Bay Area
650-714-9151 (cell) sfbayarea@af3irm.org

WOMEN CHALLENGE UC REGENTS BOARD: STOP CONDONING RAPE STATEWIDE ACTIONS TO BE HELD IN CALIFORNIA

[ San Francisco & Los Angeles, California] On March 16, 2011 the Justice for Laya campaign will hold a statewide day of action against UC Student Regent Jesse Cheng for his role in sexually assaulting a student named Laya. The UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct has recently found Cheng responsible for sexual battery. Womenʼs groups, community leaders, faculty, UC students and alumni will speak at The University of California Regents Board meeting and hold a vigil outside to demand that Cheng be removed from his position as sole student representative for the UC Regents Board. Immediately following the action in San Francisco, a press conference with new findings and calls to action from the Womenʼs and Filipino community will be held in Los Angeles.

WHO: Justice for Laya, Northern California Coalition
WHAT: ACTION AT UC REGENTS BOARD MEETING
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, March 16 at 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: UCSF Mission Bay Campus, 1675 Owens St, San Francisco, CA

WHO: Justice for Laya, Southern California Coalition [CONFIRMED SPEAKERS}
Angela Bartolome - AF3IRM, Los Angeles Coordinator
Jennifer Nazareno - Mariposa Center for Change
Nic John Ramos - UC Irvine Alumni, Former Kababayan President
Christine Araquel - Kabataang maka-Bayan (Pro-People Youth), Vice Chairperson

WHAT: PRESS CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES
WHEN: Wednesday, March 16 at 12:00 noon
WHERE: Feminist Majority Press Room, 433 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Additional Information:
There will be opportunities to photograph and interview bilingual Justice for Laya Coalition leaders (Tagalog & English), UC students, and community advocates. Other photo opportunities include dramatic vigil both inside and outside the UC Regents board meeting room with banners, props and campaign posters.

Endorsing Organizations include:
AF3IRM - Formerly known as Gabriela Network, The Mariposa Center for Change, Kabataang Maka-Bayan Pro-People Youth, Delta Phi Gamma at UC Irvine, Social Justice Alliance at UC Riverside, Students for Chinatown at UC Riverside, Beta Phi Sorority at SFSU, UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine, and the entire UC Berkeley BRIDGES Coalition: RAZA Recruitment & Retention Center, Native American Recruitment & Retention Center, Pilipino Academic Student Services, REACH! - Asian/Pacific Islander Recruitment & Retention Center, Mixed Student Union, & Arab Recruitment & Retention Center.
###

THIS WED 3/16, 8AM: ALL OUT! JUSTICE FOR LAYA ACTION @ UC REGENTS MTG, UCSF MISSION BAY COMMUNITY CTR

Stand with a Survivor and Speak Out Against Campus Sexual Assault!

A UCLA graduate student known as LAYA was sexually battered by UC Student Regent Jesse Cheng, who is now denying the fact and being protected because of his position of power.

JOIN THE JUSTICE FOR LAYA COALITION AS WE DEMAND JUSTICE AT THE UC REGENTS MEETING!

- Jesse Cheng resign from his position immediately!

- Make campus sexual assault a priority issue!

- Fund women's centers & resources!

ALL OUT: JUSTICE FOR LAYA ACTION AT
THE UC REGENTS MEETING

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011

8:00AM @ UCSF

Mission Bay Community Center

1675 Owens St.

San Francisco, CA

*Rides available at UC Berkeley, Eschleman Loading Zone

MORE INFO:

sfbayarea@af3irm.org

ivy@mariposacenterforchange.org

650-714-9151

CAMPAIGN ENDORSERS:

AF3IRM, Mariposa Center for Change, Feminist Majority, Kabataang maka-Bayan Pro People Youth, Delta Phi Gamma at UC Irvine, Social Justice Alliance at UC Riverside, Students for Chinatown at UC Riverside, Beta Phi Sorority

Occupy UCI- Jesse Cheng's Conduct Charges

Student Regent Jesse Cheng was found guilty by UCI’s Repression Kommissar Edgar Dormitorio of “unwanted touching” and is sentenced to “probation.”  What this means is that by the time the appeal is over, Jesse will have already graduated, without final charges.  It also means that the UC Regents will not be removing him from his position of representing students.  However, it should be said, conduct charges do not equal justice for Laya, and instead make a mockery of her case.  By charging Jesse through the Office of Student Conduct, UCI is trying to both validate their past repression of 30 students while also letting him off with a slap on the wrist.  We want Jesse to be held accountable for his actions–whether or not he did it–BY STUDENTS, not by a politically driven kangaroo court.  Not to mention it’s downright ridiculous that students be suspended, assigned community service, and have their organizations banned for participating in nonviolent protests, while a student is given probation for sexual battery.


Full article here:
http://occupyuci.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/irvine-30-legal-updates-and-jesse-chengs-conduct-charges/

UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct Finds Jesse Cheng Guilty of Sexual Battery, Justice for Laya Coalition Heightens its Call for his Resignation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2011

Ivy Quicho, Mariposa Center for Change Executive Director

ivy@mariposacenterforchange.org

951-333-4306

Jollene Levid, AF3IRM National Chairperson

chair@af3irm.org

323-356-4748

UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct Finds Jesse Cheng Guilty of Sexual Battery, Justice for Laya Coalition Heightens its Call for his Resignation

March 9: The UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct found UC Student Regent Jesse Cheng responsible for sexual battery of Laya, a UC Irvine alum and current UCLA graduate student. Laya filed the case with the office last October 2010, shortly after the incident took place.

Director Edgar Dormitorio of the UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct informed Laya via telephone yesterday that a decision had been reached. Laya was also informed that Cheng had seven days to appeal the case. Director Dormitorio stated that his office must wait those seven days before providing Laya with the actual sanctions leveled against Cheng. The Justice for Laya Coalition urges Director Dormitorio and the Dean of Students of UC Irvine to uphold their just and original decision against Cheng should an appeal be made. Coalition member and AF3IRM National Coordinator Amanda Martin said, "Let us not backtrack. This is just the first step of Justice for Laya."

Since the Laya case reached the public, various students, community members, youth, and women's organizations across California have created the Justice for Laya Coalition to demand that: 1) Jesse Cheng be removed from his post, 2) Laya receive full, legal justice and 2) Women's Resources and Centers in the University of California school system be funded so that other women will never have to face situations such as Laya's alone.

In light of the recent findings of the UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct, the Justice for Laya Coalition heightens its call for its first demand: that Jesse Cheng to be removed from his position as the UC Student Regent! Mariposa Center for Change Board President, Dr. Annalisa Enrile stated, "A sexual batterer should not continue to represent the student voice.The UC Regents said they would take the lead from the UCI Office of Student Conduct. By not removing him from his office, the UC Regents are publicly condoning sexual battery and assault on their campuses."

The fact that a thorough investigation by the UCI Office of Student Conduct was conducted and found Cheng guilty only validates what the Justice for Laya Coalition has known all along - that Laya is deserving of swift, legal justice, and that Cheng is not a representative of the UC student population.

Join the Justice for Laya Coalition's actions:

Action at the Board of Regents Meeting:

Wednesday, March 16

8:00am

UC San Francisco - Mission Bay Community Center

675 Owens Street, San Francisco

Press Conference in Los Angeles

Wednesday, March 16

12:00 noon

Feminist Majority Press Room

433 South Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90212-4401

OC Weekly [BREAKING] Jesse Cheng, UC Student Regent, Found Guilty of Sexual Battery by UCI Student Dean's Office!!

The OC Weekly has published a new article stating

"Jesse Cheng [is] guilty of "unwanted touching"--essentially a misdemeanor sexual battery infraction"

It goes on saying " Our tipster says Edgar Dormitorio, the UC Irvine Office of Student Conduct director, called Cheng's former girlfriend, a UCI alum and current UCLA graduate student identified only as "Laya," to let her know the decision had been reached. "


"Jesse Cheng tells the [OC] weekly he was "a little bit surprised" the student conduct office ruled against him." 


Full article here: 
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/03/jesse_cheng_student_conduct_ru.php