In an op-ed piece for The Boston Globe, Patrick Witt, former Yale quarterback and now first-year law student at Harvard, unpacks the awful implementation of both universities' newest sexual harassment policies. A policy that Witt says, "nearly ruined my life."

While at Yale, Witt was the star quarterback, with his eyes set on playing in the NFL -- his childhood dream. During his time as an undergraduate, Witt was also selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. Everything was stacking up perfectly until Witt was accused of sexual misconduct by an ex-girlfriend. 

Witt explains that his accuser filed an "informal complaint" with the "then-newly-created University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct." That complaint ended up costing him everything. Witt writes:   

It cost me my reputation and credibility, the opportunity to become a Rhodes scholar, the full-time job offer I had worked so hard to attain, and the opportunity to achieve my childhood dream of playing in the NFL.

In accordance with the adopted policy, an informal complaint does not necessitate the release of the specific accusations, nor are any formal investigations begun. "The informal 'process' begins and ends at the point of accusation; the truth of the claim is immaterial," writes Witt.

Even though Witt desired to clear his name of any wrongdoing -- he says he is completely innocent -- the faculty adviser on the committee assured him, "there's nothing to clear your name of."

So in compliance with this policy, Witt had no recourse in countering the claim his ex made, but she could, at any time, raise the informal complaint to the formal level. As long as it stayed at the former, Witt was assured that nothing would be attached to his official file at Yale.

Witt concludes:

The destructive power that Yale’s and now Harvard’s new sexual misconduct policies wield is immense and grossly underestimated. By giving to unsubstantiated accusations the confoundingly difficult-to-define title of 'informal complaint' — and denying accused students an opportunity to clear their names — these policies place the entire weight of the university’s reputation on the side of the accuser and against the accused. After all, if you didn’t do anything wrong, then why has your school recognized a complaint against you, informal or otherwise?

It is not only maintained but even encouraged by Witt that universities adopt and enforce policies that protect its students against sexual misconduct. "But," he notes, "it is imperative that their efforts to fulfill this duty remain consistent with the principles of due process of law and equal treatment that form the bedrock of our legal system."

For now, Witt explains that the stigma attached to his name -- as any Google search turns up, he laments -- is something he has to share with prospective employers, potential girlfriends, and any other future endeavors:

It is a specter whose lingering presence is rooted in its inexplicability.

Witt has joined 28 members of Harvard's faculty who are officially protesting the school's adoption of this sweeping sexual harassment policy, saying it "will do more harm than good." The hope is for the university, and any others who implement these types of policies, to reconsider.

Read more details about the story, including The New York Times' effort to miscolor the narrative, at The Globe.

Image: Stephen Fritzer, Yale University