The LSU Student Senate passed a bill at its meeting Wednesday that would urge the university to create a database for convicted sex offenders enrolled or employed by LSU.
The bill’s authors, University Center for Freshman Year Sen. Chloe Berry and Undergraduate Center for Advising and Counseling Sen. Jayden Bates, said they’d spoken to the Title IX office and that they were also in support of the database’s creation. The proposed database would likely be on the myLSU website or sent out as an email.
University of Texas at Dallas operates a similar system where offenders’ names, pictures, birthdates and convicted crimes are listed.
LSU doesn’t currently hire convicted sex offenders, said Student Senate Speaker Emma Bruney, but the language in the bill includes employees in case the university ever decided to change that policy.
Sex offenders may be accepted for enrollment at LSU but are prohibited from living in residence halls.
The sex offender registry is already public information online, but the proposed list would be specific to LSU employees and students.
Another bill passed through the Senate Wednesday that would request LSU Residential Life to include questions surrounding LGBTQ+ identities for its housing portal, as well as ensuring transgender students the right to room with their identified gender. UCFY Sen. Dylan Weinrich authored the bill.
The proposed questions would clarify applicants’ relationship with the LGBTQ+ community and if they’d be comfortable living with someone who is part of the community. So far, the LSU administration has pushed against the idea, but the Senate hoped to bolster support by passing the bill.
Questions of gender identity and sexual orientation would be completed through self-identification. The bill doesn’t require a gender marker or any other form of proof. These questions wouldn’t be public information, but operate to connect LGBTQ+ students with other students in the housing portal to create a safer, more comfortable housing process and environment for all.
Guest speaker Gabriela Juárez, a political science freshman, represented the LGBTQ+ Caucus at the Senate meeting by sharing her support for the bill. She outlined her own experiences, sharing that her own housing application process was difficult and anxiety-inducing, “as if I’m some kind of threat or liability they signed on to,” she said
“I’m no threat to any roommate,” Juárez said, “and I certainly don’t appreciate the university and administration treating me as if I am one.”
Three residence halls, Azalea, Cedar and Spruce, already allow transgender students to room with students that match their gender identity, according to Juárez. These halls are listed as co-ed by suite compared to others which are co-ed by floor. This allows for transgender students who haven’t changed their gender marker to room with students matching their gender identity.
Juárez said the university’s current housing process sends the message that transgender students are not welcome or wanted on LSU campus.
“I would also like to point out that there is a big problem on this campus with the way that we approach trans students,” said College of Science Sen. Hannah Alm-Gibson during debate, noting there were several individuals who didn’t feel safe on campus.
“They don’t feel safe going out at night, don’t feel safe going to the bars, don’t feel safe with a lot of Greek life,” Alm-Gibson said. “We need to show support for those individuals.”
These two bills are merely suggestions to the university administration, and, while encouraging action from LSU, don’t require the campus to implement them.
The next Senate meeting is on April 10.
