According to a story in today’s Boston Globe by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) at Boston University, “officials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this week acknowledged that they allowed a student who confessed to raping a friend on campus last fall, a felony, to remain enrolled and avoid significant discipline.”

According to the story, this is not uncommon in Massachusetts. It states:

Newly obtained Justice Department data show that reports of sexual assaults on college campuses rarely lead to serious sanctions. Ten New England universities and colleges provided the data as part of a campus grant program overseen by the Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women.

For continued coverage of this story, click here.

UPDATE: FRIDAY — UMass officials respond to the Boston Globe report.

UPDATE: THURSDAY, 3 P.M. — The Collegian has scheduled a sit-down interview with interim vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life Jean Kim for later this afternoon. Check back with DailyCollegian.com this evening for a recap of that interview and more on this story.

UPDATE: THURSDAY, 2:15 P.M. — University officials have thus far not responded to The Collegian’s requests for comment today, but are expected to respond later this afternoon. Assistant dean of students, Shawn McGuirk said questions regarding the matter will not be handled by the Dean of Students office and referred questions to interim vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life Jean Kim. The Collegian was told that Kim, as well as a campus spokesman handling press inquiries on the matter, were busy in meetings when each were contacted earlier this afternoon, but that both Kim and spokesman Edward Blaguszewski will field questions later today.

Continued coverage of this story will be available later today on DailyCollegian.com and in tomorrow’s paper.