Jason Casares, director of student ethics, has resigned, IU announced Friday in a press release.
Casares, who was a deputy Title IX coordinator, was accused of sexual assault last month by Jill Creighton, an assistant director for global community standards at New York University. The assault allegedly occurred at an Association for Student Conduct Administration conference in December in Fort Worth, Texas.
[Read our initial coverage of the allegation of sexual assault against Jason Casares]
Immediately after learning of the complaint, IU began an investigation, according to the release.
Eighteen sexual assault hearings Casares oversaw in his position as a Title IX coordinator are currently under review by Julia Lamber, an emerita faculty member of the IU Maurer School of Law, to ensure everyone involved received equal treatment in IU’s disciplinary hearing process.
Tony Paganelli, Casares' lawyer, maintained Casares' innocence in a statement released Friday afternoon.
"Even though the quality and integrity of Jason's work for IU have never been questioned, IU had concerns for whether he could credibly preside over student sexual assault investigations after having been very publicly accused of sexual assault himself," Paganelli said in the statement. "IU therefore asked him to resign his position or be terminated."
Pagenelli said IU's investigators did not conclude the assault claims against Casares were valid.
Paganelli said in the statement Casares is "grateful" an independent investigation by the ASCA found the claims against him were unsubstantiated.
"Although Jason believed he could still do his job, Jason wanted to do what was best for IU and his family," Paganelli said in the statement. "Jason's time at IU has been memorable and worthwhile in every respect. Out of concern for IU and in the interest to putting the matter to rest, he resigned."
IU spokesperson Mark Land said an interim director will be appointed to replace Casares, but no timetable has been set. He said Dean of Students Harold "Pete" Goldsmith and Provost Lauren Robel will likely map out a plan for moving forward, including a search committee to find a permanent replacement.
Land said the University will not comment any further on the case.
Carley Lanich
