Student Regent Under Investigation [Updated: Feb. 16]
Traci Garling Lee and David Gao | Feb 15, 2011 | Comments 191
On Nov. 4, 2010, UC Student Regent Jesse Cheng was arrested for sexual battery, according to the Irvine Police Department’s adult arrest roster for the month of November. The victim, a UCLA graduate student who has asked to be named as “Laya,” reported the attack to the police a few weeks after the incident.
According to the arrest roster, Cheng was arrested on the afternoon of Nov. 4 at 4771 Campus Dr. for sexual battery. IPD’s daily log for the arrest confirms that the incident was reported on Oct. 26 and Cheng was arrested and booked the following week in Irvine. However, he is not currently facing criminal charges.
Cheng, a fifth-year Asian American studies major at UC Irvine, is the current UC Student Regent and represents over 200,000 students at the 10 UC campuses throughout California. Here at UCI, Cheng has been actively involved in ASUCI, the Student Fee Advisory Committee and the Asian Pacific Student Association.
Cheng declined to comment on the record.
According to Laya’s accounts, Cheng attempted to rape her in his off-campus apartment on Oct. 3 after she said no to his advances. Laya reported the incident to IPD at the end of October and then to UCI’s Office of Student Conduct in November after Cheng’s arrest.
Dr. Mandy Mount, director of UCI Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE), stated that most cases of sexual violence are rarely reported to authorities, but acknowledged that UCI was “proactive and responsive in these cases.”
In a series of emails over the course of October, which were disclosed to the New University and also given to the police and to Student Conduct, Cheng repeatedly apologized to Laya for sexually assaulting her.
In December, Laya was told by Detective Tom Goodbrand of IPD that the Orange County District Attorney’s office had decided not to press charges.
IPD confirms that the case was sent to the DA’s office in November but, according to Spokesperson Farrah Emami at the DA’s office, they have no record of the case under Cheng’s name at the time.
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Update | Feb. 16, 2011, 4:15 p.m. The Bay Citizen reported earlier this afternoon that the Orange County District Attorney’s office chose not to file charges due to insufficient evidence. In a phone interview this afternoon, OCDA’s Chief of Staff Susan Kang Schroeder confirmed that the case had been received and rejected.
“The case was received by our office, a deputy DA received the case, and she concluded that she could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Schroeder said. “It was submitted to our office for misdemeanor sexual battery. We’re not saying it didn’t happen, we’re just saying that we cannot file a case unless we can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. And in this incident we could not. The deputy on this case was not aware of any position that Cheng held, nor would it have made a difference.”
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To this date, Student Conduct is still investigating.
Despite Laya’s initial hesitation to report the incident, she has decided to come forth and speak up. “I hesitated to talk to the New U for a long time because I was scared Jesse would retaliate and with someone in his position, he has people around him who can and who have gone out of their way to silence me and convince me not to report the assault,” she said. “I don’t want to let him silence me anymore.”
Edgar Dormitorio, director of Student Conduct, had no comment about the investigation, but cited the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act instead, which Student Conduct follows regarding investigation inquiries.
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Ask yourself if it’s really fair for you to AUTOMATICALLY assume that Jesse Cheng’s guilty just because of ONE disgruntled ex-girlfriend’s accusations.
“Of course he would do it, he’s a politician!”
“Of course he would do it, I met him two years ago and got a bad impression of him!”
“Rape is bad, therefore, if he’s accused of rape, he automatically is bad!”
You all make me sick. Jesse Cheng has been breaking his back fighting for you sadistic idiots who are so ready to believe the most evil of him. You all should be ashamed of yourselves.
Beat on rape victims or as you call them “disgruntled ex’s” right????
Grow up
Sure, there’s plenty of people here saying that – and Matt Coker at OC Weekly seems to be into that as well.
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/02/jesse_cheng_sexual_battery_uci.php
That said, it’s a serious accusation. I work with Jesse through UCSA and I want to believe the best of him. I hope to God he can explain himself.
Well, you are AUTOMATICALLY assuming she is lying. Not only that, you are calling her a disgruntled girlfriend, which in my opinion is rude. If you think he is innocent that is fine, but don’t be calling her names.
It’s equally unfair to make assumptions about the accuser as it is to make assumptions about the accused.
An accusation does not automatically indicate a liar. Nor does it automatically make anyone a criminal.
May I also add that Laya has received emails from Jesse stating his apologies. What does he have to apologize for if he is innocent?
I have to say that I give Laya 100% support. I know today has been a hard day for her, and this must have been taunting her for months. I know she speaks the truth, if else, why would she not reveal her name? If she did it for fame, she would have said this months ago when Jesse was first arrested. I would like to remind some of you that she is a grad student at UCLA…so why would she bother to accuse Jesse if she is so busy with what is an intense year in grad school? Yes there is no evidence, but why hasn’t Jesse denied the allegations? If he is innocent, then he is not doing a well enough job proving he is innocent.
give him a few days, I’m sure he’ll release a statement
He had months to deny everything, and if he knew the NewU was publishing this, then why didn’t he speak up sooner?
Why wouldn’t he speak up … hmm …
JC: Hey, everyone, I would just like to say that no, I am not guilty of the allegation of attempted rape.
Everyone: Wait, someone accused you of attempted rape?
Chaos ensues.
Almost every comment has picked a “side”, and in not a few cases, commentators have used their opinion as to fuel another agenda; whether it be as a platform to advocate victim’s rights, a means to further slander Jesse, or other gains.
The truth of the matter is, there are very few facts to go off of, and considering the NewU’s penchant for being consistent unreliable, there many be further mistruths yet.
Due to the sheer ambiguity and sensitivity of this issue, I feel that it is wrong for any of us to prematurely call sides or assign blame. Both Jesse and “Laya” are in very difficult situations, and need the support of their friends and loved ones at this time; it is unfair for them when others arbitrarily place guilt on either party.
You know what your right, but the facts smell like a cover-up.
Trust powerful people, don’t question them, interrogate rape victims right?
A COVER-UP? More like the New U prematurely published something without getting all the facts. And now people like you are smelling conspiracies?!
AND WHAT POWER?! LAST TIME I CHECKED, STUDENT REGENTS HAVE NO POWER. DO YOUR DAMN RESEARCH. THE REGENTS DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT STUDENT REGENTS, OR ELSE YA THINK THINGS LIKE THE BUDGET CUTS WOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED? You’re all just inflating his title to make yourselves believe that he has this fabricated power to make police reports disappear.
prematurely published?
I think the NewU has more than what we know. I mean, they have to. And they probably were smart enough to talk to a lawyer or two before this was published. So, I’m sure they’re good on facts and statements.
Again, I’m just curious. I wonder what’s on the arrest log and what statements are in the police report…
Which facts?
I’m really shocked by the amount of support people have commented on here. I automatically assumed that people would blame my friend, “Layla”. Although some of you are claiming neutral positions, which is completely understandable as you do not know all of the facts, I want to thank those of you who have commanded Layla for her bravery. It DID take a lot of courage for her to step forward and report her assault to the police. No matter what you may believe, if you’re on either side or just neutral, do not lose sight that there is a VICTIM here. Silence will not be tolerated. I’m just glad that the New U decided to print this story.. Thank you. People needed to hear about this.
I agree. Layla is also my friend, I was very pleased to see people support her, and glad some at least took neutral positions. There is a victim here, and we must all see that.
With you and “Layla”
Solidarity against rape.
She is going by Laya, not Layla
I don’t know Laya, and Jesse’s a friendly acquaintence – but assault is never okay; neither is abusing the privileges that come with a public trust.
If you are who you say you are (nothing personal, but anything’s possible on the Internet) please send my prayers and good wishes to Laya.
I am who I say I am. Thank you Stackhouse, I will definitely let her know. I really appreciate it.
I agree with Stackhouse. Both of these students are facing some tough times, and they both need the support of those who care about them to get through this. I had hoped that Laya and Jesse would have such people, and I commend you, Lydie, for standing by your friend. As an assault victim myself, I truly appreciate what you are doing.
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/02/jesse_cheng_sexual_battery_uci.php
It’s disgusting to know this whole time of Layla’s situation and have to hear how no authority at UCI or the City of Irvine will do anything about this. Jesse Cheng cannot be exempt from such actions. UCI is just scared to lose their image with a student leader tarnishing them with his actions, so I don’t blame them for trying to cover it all up. I know for a fact that Jesse told her to not say anything about the incident. How can anyone in good conscience silence a woman after attacking her and not own up to his own faults. That’s pathetic. It is disappointing that a student leader who represents us all as UC students has acted in such a way. And he should get what he deserves. That’s complete BS that there is not enough evidence to press charges against him. I know for a fact that there are recorded statements from Jesse telling Layla to not say anything. His attempts to escape are pathetic. I knew Jesse as an acquaintance, so I can’t say anything about him as a person. But this one act says a whole world of a lot more than any of his supporters can say about him and I appreciate that the student body that remains in contact with Layla stands behind her and that the NewU is setting things straight with this whole series of events.
“I know for a fact that there are recorded statements from Jesse telling Layla to not say anything.”
Is that a fact? If so, I hope somebody from New U gets their hands on them.
I’m serious, and I apologize if you take it the wrong way – but if those statements exist, and they’re damning, then they need to be seen.
It probably would not be responsible to use hearsay or emails as evidence…
Then why is New U even mentioning them?
Someone is innocent until proven guilty.
That said, when someone who holds a public office or a position of power is under investigation for such a crime, in general they step down until the matter is cleared.
This is true, but I wonder what statements the police reports show?
Is this DA office ridiculous or what?
The Irvine 11 are charged for peaceful protest and a man accused of rape is not charged at all???
Didn’t you know? Peaceful protests are wayyy worse than rape!….. apparently
Zot fighting for people’s rights is more CRIMINAL to OCDA and UCI than rape.
Wowzers
Wait, I thought jesse was gay.
He’s bisexual and that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to try and rape someone either way.
You should move to Arizona too.
These things are obviously never happy for anyone involved. It has been nearly a decade since I have been out of school (another UC a few hundred miles north), yet the same story happens often enough. In my role as Student Advocate, I represented a number of folks who are in Jesse’s shoes, and quite a few in Laya’s. Some thoughts I can offer:
1) I think we can all agree that rape is one of the most terrible and scarring crimes, and that victims of rape should be encouraged to — and commended for — reporting it to the authorities. It takes a huge amount of courage to do so.
2) That general principle notwithstanding, it does not mean that, in this particular case, Laya was in the right and Jesse was in the wrong. It also does not mean the opposite. All it means is that there are allegations out there, which are horrifying if true, and which we do not know whether they are true.
3) The guy’s background, or people’s experiences with him, have nothing to do with whether he is guilty. Many rapists have never hurt a fly before, while many pervy and power-hungry guys would rather die than be associated with sexual assault. The fact that Jesse is the SR and is ambitious weighs neither in favor nor against his guilt, any more than him being a righty (or a lefty). Based on the limited information in the article, he could be guilty — or he could be the victim of a character attack or a miscommunication.
4) Same with the girl. A disgruntled ex does not a perjurer make. At the same time, false accusation of rape can and have been made by women with varying motives. You can acknowledge that fact and still remain a feminist. Similarly, there is simply such a thing as poor communications. He thought she was going along (while disregarding possible signs that she wasn’t), she thought she was making her rejection clear (while coming across much more ambiguously than she thought.) Again, none of this means that this is what happened here.
5) The fact that the DA declined to prosecute means that the DA did not feel that there was enough evidence to secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. That does not mean that Jesse got off on a technicality, because our criminal justice system does not call someone guilty unless we are pretty darn sure of it. It also does not mean that Jesse is innocent. The DA could have made his/her decision based on any combination of factors. Is this a simple, and largely unprovable, case of “he said-she said”? Or did Laya repeatedly change her story, or was contradicted by witnesses?
The bottom line is that both of these folks are in an unenviable situation right now, and without knowing, we simply don’t know. Neither side automatically deserves your deference at this stage — at the same time, both could probably appreciate their friends’ support. Let the process play itself out, and then — if anyone is worthy of being lynched once all facts are out — have at it.
THANK YOU, whoever you are.
In case people are too lazy to read you (though they should:)
“We know nothing save that a high-profile student activist is being investigated for a heinous crime, for which he was arrested a few months ago.”
“We should all commend the New U for getting out as much information as they did and hope they continue to provide information as it becomes available.”
In any case, let’s hope that whatever information there is, comes out in investigation or (if necessary) a trial.
Agreed.
where’s the “like” button?
The article says that he is not facing criminal charges. So while there was evidence enough to arrest him, there was not enough evidence to charge him with the crime. And I highly doubt that the POLICE would care about his position as student regent. Actually, I feel they would pay more attention to the charges since he is such a prominent member of the UC system.
Whatever happened, it is not fair to blame organizations or people associated with Jesse Cheng. I do not know him (and after reading this article I’m not sure I would want to know him) but at the same time, I am sad to see students turning against those who work with Jesse. It is wrong to judge many people based on the actions of one person.It is also wrong for New University to print this article after the fact, and (conveniently )before ASUCI elections.
As a woman who has experienced emotional and physical abuse, I can honestly say that sometimes we victims of abuse don’t know how to deal with our emotions. Laya could be stretching the truth as a result of emotional pain, or she could be telling the truth (in which case, I applaud her for her bravery). We don’t know the entire story – so we don’t have the right to make assumptions.
Police are politicians too
Not all of them. Don’t stereotype.
I swear to god you sound like a Tea partier….
I wouldn’t know if I sound like a Tea Partier, since I don’t really follow the twisted world of politics. I am just not taking sides, and asking people to be decent enough to do the same until more information is released.
UCImom I wasn’t calling you a Tea Partier, which is a negative connotation. In fact, UCImom I think you’re amazing!
UCImom, I applaud you for your willingness to be unbiased.
How is defending a rapist unbiased?
How is she defending a rapist? (By the way, that’s conjecture. Neither the DA nor the police have found him guilty of rape, and the charge is for attempted rape, not rape). All UCIMom is saying that she is trying to remain neutral. Why are you being so judgmental?
I’m not judging anything. I defend a woman’s right to her body.
I defend a woman’s right to her body as well. I’ve supported CARE and a close person to me was raped as well…
But that does not give me an excuse to quickly condemn someone like you are. You failed to notice UCImom’s willingness to believe that Jesse potentially committed this crime, only blindly arguing that everyone else is wrong and against you. You are quick to stereotype, accuse and judge me, police, politicians, men as a whole, and Jesse. You propel the ideas that you are victimized, when in actuality you are furthering the notions of sexism and bigotry. You probably assume that I’m a male as well.
In my book you’re no better than Jesse or Laya.
Jeez, due process, look it up. Don’t call the guy a rapist until the investigation is finished and that conclusion is reached (which it may not be). It’s a serious allegation and it should be treated as such. You can’t jump to conclusions like that.
OH MY GOD! Everyone stop passing judgement on one another!
Stop assuming Jesse did it.
Stop assuming “Layla” is doing it for a personal agenda.
Let it alone and wait until more facts come.
Thank you for speaking logic in a situation devoid of it.
It’s sad to think that Laya’s probably not going to get justice because honestly, come on, he’s Jesse Cheng. No one’s going to go after him. I’ve read the comments and if normal citizens like us can’t seem to believe her or the fact that we doubt her.. then how are legal authorities going to believe her? I really hope she does get justice, but in his powerful position.. I really doubt it.
lol he’s just the student regent, what power? hahaha, laya should go forward like he’s some random super senior
You’d be surprised at how much power he holds. The vice chancellor and chancellor are probably pressuring the director of student conduct to prolong the process until after Jesse graduates so that this doesn’t blow up too much. Jesse’s the first student regent from UCI, pretty sure they’d want to keep UCI’s reputation clean, and not full of rape accusations.
If he happened to be a graduate student, I might lend your theory more credence.
But Groo DOES have a point – the Student Regent doesn’t hold much prestige or clout beyond the student activist groups/student governments/UCSA spaces where students engage directly with UC policy.
However, bringing up the story may affect people in those spaces in a very big way.
I’m a former ASUCI officer…I can pretty much guarantee that the VCSA & Drake have bigger fish to fry than some random non-event by some non-important person who thinks he’s important but really he’s the token dissenting voice with the UC Regents. He basically exists to provide plausible “evidence” that the Regents “listen to students.” Really, they have a business to run.
It’s all lip service.
But anyway…at this point this has nothing to do with UCI and instead has everything to do with the OCDA. I don’t think he gives two-shits what Drake or any random VC wants…he just wants to get re-elected. If there’s enough evidence to pursue charges, they should go for it. Sounds like they don’t, too bad.
I’m really shocked by this story since I only know Jesse through other friends. But if there was an arrest, the police had to have probable cause that he committed the crime, so I’m on Laya’s side on this one.
As for the comments made about the DA rejecting the case so Jesse must not be guilty, that’s a false assumption. First, the DA say they never got the case, so maybe they didn’t even reject it. Even if they had rejected it and for some unknown reason do not have any record of it, it does not necessarily mean he never sexually assaulted Laya. It just means that he was able to get away because there was not enough evidence to convict him.
This case being rejected sounds suspicious, probably something to do with controversial politics.
your wrong in this way: the article says “Layla” was told by an IPD detective that the DA would not be pressing charges, however, the DA says they never got the case. This is more than just a coincidence and requires some serious explanation.
You’re wrong in two ways. Her chosen name is “Laya” and it’s “you’re” not “your.”
and someone like HIM represents us?
As a former friend of Jesse Cheng, I have seen his desire for power and admiration of others grow more and more. It’s incredibly sad and frustrating to see someone who had the potential to use his appointed power for good, use it to hurt the very students that he represents.
It’s good to know that the NewU was unafraid to publish this article. As a UCI student I no longer feel comfortable with Cheng as Student Regent.
Sexual assault and battery happens to women every single day but many cases are dismissed by the District Attorney when they do not have 100% assurance of WINNING. The District Attorney is an ELECTED official and will only take cases that solidify their election to office. It’s all politics. As for the claim that Laya is a “disgruntled ex,” people should know that filing a false police report and creating false evidence is a serious felony. Why would anyone want to go through all the time and money to charge someone for an event that never took place? Not to mention go through all the psychological and verbal attacks that people like Laya face everyday in order to be silenced.
Thank you Laya for speaking up about this incident and know that I support you.
Hmm, true.
Rape/sexual assault cases are so messy, because they’re so hard to prove. I hate how all the pressure is placed on the accuser, because the crime is so awful … but at the same time, our justice system is based on an “innocent until proven guilty” ideal.
I’m going to wait for more details in order to pass judgment.
BTW I really, really, really dislike this article’s lack of information … I have so many questions and this article answers none of them.
Hmmmm. I wonder what the Police Reports say? I bet the Police Reports might help.
those probably disappeared like they did over at the DA’s office.
I can’t believe I am/was friends with someone who could do that.
@Julia:
Relax. I’m not saying any of that. I’m just saying there are SO many possibilities out there. And I find it very offensive how sexist you are being right now. I’m not saying Jesse did it or didn’t do it, but I’m not going to make baseless accusations like you are at both Jesse and me.
I don’t think the police arrest people for sexual battery over something “baseless”. You are sexist and scary.
How am I sexist? I don’t view gender, I view facts. And there are none on both sides right now.
The police said they didn’t press charges. There you go.
you should move to Arizona…
Again, a rebuttal with no factual evidence and filled with assumptions.
*Waits for another pointless comment*
Yeah, I don’t like that person either. All judgment, no substance.
On the other hand, I’d still like to know WHY the police/the OC district attorney decided not to file any criminal charges, and if that means that the police investigation is completely closed.
Also, what’s Student Conduct’s involvement? What kind of investigation are they running? What is the department expected to report? What do they decide exactly? How is their investigation relevant?
So many questions, zero answers from this article. It’s upsetting. Isn’t that a journalist’s job, to find out the truth, the WHOLE truth? If so, why are there so many … holes. No pun intended.
The article also states that the DA never received the case, so how could the DA press charges to a case that he (apparently) never looked at? The article might be missing some facts, but it isn’t safe to make so many assumptions either.
By stating that Jesse is innocent until proven guilty, you are already picking a side – his. Others have chosen to take Layla’s side and have come up with their own possibilities or conclusions about Jesse (i.e. being power-hungry and thinking he could get away with it), similar to how you have come up with your own possibilities of Layla being a disgruntled ex out for revenge. I see fault in both.
Lastly, I don’t understand why you’re accusing all of the previous entries of making sexist accusations about Jesse after you preached about making judgment after facts. It is a fact that females were once repressed – by men, by religion, by society, by many factors – so why is it so wrong for someone to draw a conclusion from these facts?
Perhaps you don’t think that history, society, or politics play a role in this, but I beg to differ. History doesn’t change, trends rarely do. Society and politics play relatively significant roles in every aspect of our lives; it wouldn’t be prudent to ignore them.
If Layla is indeed telling the truth, then I feel saddened that she had to experience that, but proud that decided to report this. If this is all a sham, then I feel sorry for Jesse for having to face all this slander.
Although I agree with a lot of your comment, I think you are fundamentally wrong on one key issue. I do not know him, but I believe that Jesse is innocent until proven guilty and no I have not picked his side.
I agree that Laya has, or supposedly has, undergone an extremely traumatic experience, but we are assuming that Jesse did it. Just because someone accuses someone of doing something, doesn’t always mean that they did it. There is a reason why our court systems have this law and although I am not saying that she has done so, it is not unheard of for a person to falsely accuse someone else.
The fact that you think that someone chooses a side by simply waiting to hear more concrete facts or a judicial result completely undermines the system. I am not fully in support of our system, but I believe that innocent until proven guilty is a luxury that we should hold onto.
Yes, women have been accosted, displaced, judged, and degraded, but to continue to the outlook that they will never be out of that position is to ignore the monumental steps that they have achieved and will continue to do so. Yes, we should have these factors in the back of our heads, but we should try to judge on what is really there and not on what someone else says is there.
In brief, my condolences go out to her for the situation that she finds herself in. If she was truly harassed, that is a feeling no one should feel and I applaud her bravery and gusto. If he is being falsely accused, I feel for him, because the stigma of whether or not he did it could haunt him for the rest of his professional career. This is not an easy situation. I am neither inclined to believe him nor her. I wish them the best and hope that the truth will find its way to the forefront.
I concur.
@Person:
My thoughts exactly. Hope somebody writes to the NU accordingly.
I think it’s hella wrong to call out a person because they are associated with Jesse. I think people are only doing this for political reasons.
i think your a log
what?
i think your retarded
Laya is unbelievably courageous for coming out about this, and I hope that this investigation brings out truth and assigns punishment accordingly. A friend from high school was a serial rapist and is now safely ensconced at a prestigious university, which makes me ill when I think about it; justice needs to be done in this and every instance.
Admittedly, I know and like Jesse, and I’ve worked with him on various issues. That said, if he threw his weight around as Student Regent to cover up a crime, he’s embarrassed everyone in every organization he’s associated himself with. He ought to know better.
That said, Freestyle024 is right; Jesse’s crimes shouldn’t be taken as a reflection on ASUCI, UCSA, APASA, or any other office or organization he’s worked with.
Suggesting certain students or student activists (like Patrick Le) are of dubious character for something Jesse Cheng is being investigated for is irresponsible, ill-founded, and treads dangerously close to libel, something I hope the New University staff keeps in mind.
@ Julia
“Yeah Jake B.. sure.. a disgruntled ex would go through ALLL of this because she’s.. um.. wait, hm… wants revenge? So.. she wants to ruin his reputation, even though many people will point fingers at her, just like you have, and go through all that pain.. because.. wait, she’s a “disgruntled ex”? It’s men like you who continue to make it women’s fault for being victimized. I’m sure you’ll also think that she brought it onto herself and deserved it, right?”
I don’t understand your argument, Jake B. stated those as possible explanations to these situation. He did not necessarily accuse Laya as a “disgruntled” ex. Additionally I find it unnecessary for you to accuse Jake B. of thinking “that she brought it onto herself and deserved it”, when all he did was ask for the audience to consider possible facts that were not mentioned in the article.
First of, those of you who hold the belief that you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law are correct.
The same luxury doesn’t extend to public opinion. I personally know Jesse and am ashamed to say so.
Props to Layla, and women in general who come out against their attackers. Down with men and violence and politics.
It would be nice if the 27 UCI activists facing charges could have “not had their case handed over to the DA”, but obviously free speech is more dangerous than rape, at least in the eyes of UC administration, police and the OCDA
That’s all I’m out….
@UC Student
“The entire system is corrupt. Student government and its supposed fake ass leaders, the UC Students Association (where these power-hungry wack student politicians try to amass power under the name of a supposed “progressive” agenda), the UC Regents (who those student “leaders” hope to someday become.”
Your attack against ASUCI, UCSA and the UC Regents makes it seem as though you have had personal experience in these organizations. I encourage you to give concrete examples of how they are “corrupt”, “fake ass”, and “power-hungry”.
Yeah Jake B.. sure.. a disgruntled ex would go through ALLL of this because she’s.. um.. wait, hm… wants revenge? So.. she wants to ruin his reputation, even though many people will point fingers at her, just like you have, and go through all that pain.. because.. wait, she’s a “disgruntled ex”? It’s men like you who continue to make it women’s fault for being victimized. I’m sure you’ll also think that she brought it onto herself and deserved it, right?
This smells of ridiculousness. Have any of you met Jesse Cheng? Talked to him? Don’t be so quick to judge please.
“and to think that he has mentees like Patrick Le he trains to take over orgs such as ASUCI and student regent in the next elections in the spring. How pitiful… make sure you know who you’re voting for and that these sorts of disgusting people “represent” you”
Guilt by association? How do the actions of one person implicate another? I don’t know Patrick personally but I think it’s ridiculous that you’re attributing these actions to innocent people. It sounds like you have a personal vendetta…
What Jake B said. Everyone is so quick to judge and will believe anything they read. Sources are SKETCH.
Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty?” It’s a shame that so many are quick to act on their prejudices against men and deny the fact that there is no concrete evidence that this ever happened. Emails could be forged. A disgruntled ex? Possibly. I for one would rather wait for more information to come to light than to quickly assume the guilt of an individual
My heart goes out to Layla and the things she’s had to face.
The entire system is corrupt. Student government and its supposed fake ass leaders, the UC Students Association (where these power-hungry wack student politicians try to amass power under the name of a supposed “progressive” agenda), the UC Regents (who those student “leaders” hope to someday become.
Wow. This is ridiculous, I always sensed his fakeness towards other people, I’m just glad everyone knows the true him now.. and to think that he has mentees like Patrick Le he trains to take over orgs such as ASUCI and student regent in the next elections in the spring. How pitiful… make sure you know who you’re voting for and that these sorts of disgusting people “represent” you
Why would you accuse the organizations and people Jesse is involved with in such a way? If they are involved in this, then it is only as victims.
I am well acquainted with the justice system, since I myself am a victim of physical and emotional abuse. And an acquaintance of mine who used to be a good friend was recently charged with assault by his wife; I am sad to say that he is guilty, but I am proud of his wife for standing up for herself and her children. Does my affiliation with a criminal make me one of those “disgusting people” you mention? I don’t think so.
Why bring patrick into this discussion? I admit Patrick is a close friend of mine and for you to assume that he has been indoctrinated by Jesse with ideas of rape is just ridiculous and offensive. Do you have a personal problem with him? If so, take it up with him, not the whole public for everyone to see. Have principles.
And I’m not hiding behind a pseudonym. I publicly stand up for my friends who are being wronged. Email me at JDhauw@gmail.com if you’d like to talk more, UCI student.
Bringing a personal grudge against Patrick Le, a student who has nothing to do with this, into the discussion is uncalled for and distracts from the issue at hand.
I have never in my life thought I would say the following words, but I am so ashamed to be a UCI alumni. Jesse’s actions are disgusting and he’s nothing but a politician who thinks he doesn’t have to deal with the consequences. The DA NEVER received the case, probably because the cops never even gave them a case. Trying to sweep it under the rug. I’m not surprised this investigation is still going on and we’re JUST hearing about it.. He’s the student regent. He could probably get away with murder. I sure hope his reputation is trashed, he deserves it if he’s not getting any legal punishment. You go Laya, you speak out for all of us women out there. Don’t you dare listen to all the people who will continue to support someone so despicable.
Thank you Traci for not only bringing attention to this terrible crime, but for also raising awareness about the issue of sexual assault and violence against women. So many victims of sexual assault are silenced by fear, threats, intimidation, embarrassment, self blame, and more. Laya has such courage to come forward to tell her story and to seek justice. Attempted sexual assault is a felony and Jesse must be held accountable for his actions.
Props to Layla speaking up. It’s a hard thing to do.
I just think it’s unfortunate that the attempted rape allegedly occurred in Orange County, where the DA (the same DA who is prosecuting students and sending them to jail for non-violent protest) is a conservative and unlikely to take such charges seriously.
I think for the safety of other women on campus and in the community, women and allies should look into this matter and see how the DA handles (or doesn’t) sexual assault charges.
Wow, his reputation on campus has been officially ruined.
Anteater – Who is covering up anything? The story is on the front page of the campus newspaper. Administration cannot release information about a student or an investigation without that student’s consent – it’s federal law. And UCI is not using it’s resources to criminally prosecute anyone – that’s the Orange County District Attorney’s office. As far as UCI is concerned, the whole case with the Irvine 11 is done. None of your allegations seem to be accurate. Speak up where you see injustice, for sure, but be sure to know who your enemies really are.
“IPD confirms that the case was sent to the DA’s office in November but, according to the spokesperson at the DA’s office, they have no record of the case under Cheng’s name at the time.”
After reading the comments, I’m not sure anyone picked up on this sentence. I believe this statement states that the DA never received the charges. So, the DA can’t decide to not press charges, if they never received them in the first place.
It sounds to me like either the IPD and/or the DA are not telling the truth. Just my opinion of course.
The common reaction women receive when reporting assault is disbelief and blame. That is why sexual assaults are hardly ever reported, let alone prosecuted and convicted. Victims are asked questions like, “what were you wearing?” and “what were you doing with him before the assault happened?” The basic assumption is that the woman did something to provoke the assault. This is unfair, no one ever “asks” or deserves to be raped or assaulted.
Women face even more interrogation when the perpetrator is someone they know, particularly if it is a person with power. She is branded as vindictive or gold-digging. This is based on another dominant assumption that only crazy people and perverts commit sexual crimes. That is not the case. Rape culture is everywhere in our society, from movies to music to magazine ads. Rape culture is even seen in the belief that when a woman turns a man down, she is simply “playing hard to get” and “doesn’t really mean it when she says no.” That cultural norm teaches men in our society that it is OK to keep pursuing a woman who does not want to or is not sure if she wants to engage in sexual activity. The standards of masculinity that promote aggression and dominance are taught through the media and popular culture, and we are all exposed to these influences. Sexual violence is a sadly common form of oppression, and addressing it is a community responsibility.
Agreed.
But an accusation still doesn’t make a criminal. Investigation first, judgment later.
Does it strike anyone else as odd that the UCI administration and UCPD are bending over backwards trying to cover this up and do nothing about an attempted RAPE, yet they are diverting already-scarce campus resources to internally and criminally prosecute 30 students for peaceful protests in which no one was hurt, and in a way far exceeding any historical precedent or rational notions of justice? The hypocrisy of Drake, Talesh, Dormitorio et al is absolutely appalling.
VERY odd.
I agree with ‘Current Student.’
For a deputy DA to not to press charges can only mean that he or she did not have enough evidence to make a case. Most deputy DAs fear losing a case in trial since it will make them look bad among their colleagues and the DA’s office look among in the public’s eye. An example would be the O.J. Simpson trial where I believe that one of the deputy DAs charged with prosecuting the case quit after losing. In a criminal trial, they have to prove with enough evidence (there’s this whom burden of proof thing) that Cheng was there at the time. This article did give some indications that there was evidence to prove his guilt in this incident. But deputy DA might have thought it was not enough to bring criminal charges to put him away on probation or prison/fines.
That being said, jumping to the conclusion that Cheng is innocent just because the DA decided not to file criminal charges is a faulty assumption.
For you to make that conclusion of the DA finding Cheng completely innocent of sexual battery requires the DA’s office to make a statement that Cheng was/is cleared as a suspect in this incident. That, the article did not indicate had happened.
Remember since this article indicate that there was evidence, Cheng still can be sued for monetary damages since civil cases do not require as much proof/evidence compared to criminal trials.
In any case, I think his future is already somewhat ruined by the criminal investigation. If he decides to work for a company that conducts background checks, this case/investigation will likely come up since he was likely fingerprinted after his arrest. In other words, this case might haunt him for the rest of his life until he is “officially cleared” by the DA’s office and University… :/
Habib,
The NewU is a CAMPUS newspaper run by students. That article will appear when a student writes it, perhaps you?
Where is the article about the largest popular uprising in the history of the Middle East?
Thank you for doing the right thing, Laya, your courage through this situation is admirable. You have the support of those who fight for and honor women’s rights. It’s really disappointing to see that the person accused of this is supposed to represent the UC student body. As a UC student I am deeply upset that this is who represents us during some of the most challenging times in recent memory for UC students and the UC system as a whole.
To the student regent: When you represent the students of UC, do so with every ounce of your being and through every action and decision you make, because, frankly, we deserve a real leader right now.
Susan,
Your conclusion is erroneous. Because the DA did not comment, we don’t know why the charges were dropped or even that a proper investigation was initiated. This is no way says that he is innocent. It is conceivable that insufficient evidence exists for a proper verdict and as such, with a popular and charismatic young leader “with a bright political future” ahead of him, it may also be that Cheng had enough connections to avoid prosecution.
Current Student,
You’re erroneous. What’s also erroneous is the lack of sufficient information in this article that allows students like you to believe that Jesse’s connections let him avoid prosecution. You’re not going to find out why charges were dropped or if a proper investigation was initiated unless you find out for yourself or read an article with reliable information. And in the case if Jesse had committed crimes, justice will be served. It’s clear that the urgency of the publication of this article wasn’t done for the justice of sexual assault, but for a favor of a particular party.
“What’s also erroneous is the lack of sufficient information in this article that allows students like you to believe that Jesse’s connections let him avoid prosecution.”
So you must have another equally valid reason why this investigation has dragged on?
“You’re not going to find out why charges were dropped or if a proper investigation was initiated unless you find out for yourself or read an article with reliable information.”
Wrong. I accompanied the reporter to IPD. She’s legit.
“And in the case if Jesse had committed crimes, justice will be served.”
Yes, let’s hope so.
“It’s clear that the urgency of the publication of this article wasn’t done for the justice of sexual assault, but for a favor of a particular party.”
Wrong again. This is definitely a headline newsworthy campus story and I know that great care and investigation went into the shaping of the article, for both legal and professional reasons.
Why are we barely hearing about this now?
We in AF3IRM applaud Laya’s bravery in the face of her batterer. Men, especially men in power, have gotten away with the absolute repression of women for centuries. This just highlights it, as it happens even with a man who is supposed to be the “student voice” of those at the UC campuses. We commend Laya’s decision to stay silent no more and pledge our support to her.
I am a woman and a survivor of sexual battery&assault, and still I must say as a reminder to all who read this:
“In December, Laya was told by Detective Tom Goodbrand of IPD that the Orange County District Attorney’s office had decided not to press charges.”
The fact that after being arrested and inevitably questioned and interviewed, Cheng’s charges were dropped by the DA means that even THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOUND CHENG INNOCENT. And that is the only firm conclusion made in this article.
Susan,
What is your current affiliation to UCI?
wow, you think you know a guy. that’s so horrible! since he’s got so much influence at uci, and has been taking part in all these organizations, it’s just a shame to hear about him victimizing someone else, and further add insult to injury by threatening her to keep quiet..i’m glad laya’s story came out
Thank you so much for publishing this story. I’m glad that Jesse’s threats not to publish the story didn’t scare you guys off. Thanks for bringing light to such a horrible tragedy. I hope Laya is okay and knows she is supported by other UCI students.