Chapel Hill, North Carolina — The University of North Carolina (UNC) faces scrutiny after failing to comply with public records requests related to a student’s misconduct case involving Zayden High, a member of the basketball team. Under North Carolina law, universities are generally required to release disciplinary records for students found in violation of sexual misconduct policies, following a 2020 ruling by the state’s Supreme Court.
Emails obtained by the student newspaper reveal that High recorded another student without consent in January 2024. During a subsequent investigation, the University Compliance Office (UCO) determined that High had breached its sexual exploitation policy.
As a result of the findings, High received several sanctions, including an indefinite suspension effective through the fall semester of 2024. After serving this suspension, he would be allowed to petition for reinstatement if he complied with the outlined conditions. High was also placed on indefinite probation for at least one semester upon his return, during which time he was barred from representing the university in any capacity, including athletics.
In addition to the sanctions, High was required to complete educational training related to sexual exploitation and to delete all recordings of the reporting student from his devices. However, videos surfaced showing him participating in team activities during his probationary period, raising questions about his compliance with university policies.
Despite these incidents, a representative from the UCO informed the reporting student that High had not violated probationary terms. According to Rebecca Gibson, the former director of report and response for UCO, while on probation, High could access athletic facilities for personal workouts and meals but was barred from participating in team practices or travel.
The situation has since led the reporting student to initiate a federal complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, seeking accountability from the university. She and her attorney are also exploring legal action against UNC, as they believe this is necessary to prompt a change in how the university addresses such issues.
The student has expressed frustration with the handling of the case, stating that the university appears to be favoring student-athletes over regular students. She aims for clearer policies to protect victims and ensure that violations of university policy are strictly enforced.
In her view, her objective is for High to no longer attend the university, as she feels unsafe with him on campus. Despite planning to seek legal recourse, she has opted to remain anonymous, citing privacy concerns and a desire to avoid backlash.
The ongoing situation has taken an emotional toll on the student, who mentioned being overwhelmed with stress and feeling that she and her lawyer are essentially doing the work of university officials. Though she has not decided whether to seek financial compensation through a lawsuit, she is primarily focused on ensuring that proper protocols are observed in the future.
The university has maintained that all disciplinary processes are conducted without bias toward students based on their involvement in extracurricular organizations. The outcome of the student’s potential lawsuit is pending, with major implications for how UNC manages misconduct cases and upholds its own policies regarding student safety and accountability.
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