Lake Michigan College Allows Sex Offenders Back On Campus

Lake Michigan College reinstated a student who they expelled last year for being a registered sex offender on Tuesday.

The student has been appealing the decision with the help of the ACLU, and had been attending classes, barring the outcome since the beginning of this year. Another student who also appealed was reinstated last year.

The cases were sparked by a 2010 rule that restricted the enrollment of felons and sex offenders at the college.

The Herald-Palladium has more:

College officials found three students already attending classes who had been convicted of sex crimes involving children, and announced a policy of barring those convicted of such crimes from attending classes on campus.

The decision sparked a controversy, with some LMC students questioning why someone who committed a sex crime against an adult, including a rapist, wouldn't be a safety risk as well.

"The law is clear that there must be individual assessment," Gary M. Pavela, a college legal consultant told the Chronicle of Higher Education during the appeals process. "I think there is a legitimate legal question here worthy of challenge."