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