The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act (CSCPA) of 2000 provides for the tracking of convicted sex offenders enrolled at, or employed by institutions of higher education. The CSCPA is an amendment to the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act.
This Federal law, along with the laws of the State of Texas, requires all persons who have been convicted of sexual assault crimes to register their residence and other information with local law enforcement and to also make any post-secondary educational facility with which they become involved as a student or an employee aware of their presence in that institution.
Local law enforcement is additionally required to submit information to the police department of any college or university about the presence of a registered sex offender on such a campus.
Registered sex offenders must register with University Police within ten days of their affiliation with Southern Methodist University.
Failure to comply with this law will cause the registrant to be arrested and charged with a felony offense. Other University sanctions will be applied, including:
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Immediate termination of employment for employees
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Immediate dismissal from classes and removal from campus residential facilities
Southern Methodist University is required to inform the campus community that a list of sex offenders, if any should be employed or enrolled, will be maintained and available for review at the University Police Department located in Patterson Hall.
Additionally, the CSCPA further amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) to clarify that nothing in the Act can prohibit an educational institution from disclosing information provided to the institution concerning the presence of registered sex offenders.
More information is available online from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry (SOR) for Violent Sex offenders, a Federally maintained Sex Offender Registry, is available via the Internet. Registry information provided through this avenue shall be used for the purposes of the administration of criminal justice, screening of current or prospective employees, volunteers or otherwise for the protection of the public in general and children in particular. Unlawful use of the information for the purposes of intimidating or harassing another is prohibited and may be prosecutable as a misdemeanor under State law.