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Two years ago, Texas had two players that were accused of sexual assault, and the head coach immediately kicked them off the team.  They were later acquitted but the football program took zero chances and had a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and other similar crimes.  I'm good with that.  Assaults can and have happened at Texas.  Having an athletic program complicit in it, isn't going to happen at Texas.

Youre good with that?

I think all accused should have their day in court and if found guilty then fry em otherwise they should have been reinstated to the team

In addition any accuser who lies about the accusation should get the same penalty as the accused would have gotten

otherwise we live the Salem witch trials all over again

Ok, I was unclear.

Sex assaults are crimes and are investigated by law enforcement. However, Title IX is part of US Federal Civil Rights legislation which forbids discrimination from any educational opportunity on the basis of of sex. This applies, then, to any institution receiving federal financial support (like any school that accepts federal loans or grant as payment).

Under this authority, schools are obligated to ensure that their students don't face threats or diminished educational opportunities because of their sex. Sexual assaults are recognized as having the capability of diminishing those educational opportunities. Accordingly, every school has a "Title IX Compliance" department that, in addition to ensuring correct funding and availability of opportunity, also helps compile and oversee sex crime statistics and administration.

Being arrested, tried, and convicted of sex assault is a matter for the criminal court system and is handled there. That process can result in a person losing their freedom and going to jail. There are long recognized procedures for this, with commensurate standards.

Participating in college athletics is not a right, but merely a privilege. It can be removed or suspended for far less standards than those required for a criminal conviction in a courtroom. For our purposes here, the Title IX Compliance office is a perfect place for assault claims against a player to land. A sports coach is largely removed from the role of having to decide suspensions or sanctions. The Title IX office handles the fact gathering as is pertinent to the University's need to ensure a non-discriminatory environment. The criminal court system handles the prosecution related to the, well, criminal complaint.

And therein lies the difference.

A criminal conviction requires specific procedures and evidence. We're proposing to remove freedom and rights from a human being. Because that's such a dire consequence, we've developed rules and procedures that attempt to ensure that this freedom isn't removed without honest, ethical evidence and argument.

Being accepted on a sports team is a privilege. When you are accepted and agree to join, you obligate yourself to the team's ethos, rules, and restrictions. It may be different in some towns, but Austin's press and police department are not subservient to the University of Texas. If a Longhorn football player does something, they'll know about it and report it - and they should!

When you're a Longhorn football player, your actions attract attention rightly or wrongly. You know that going in. They reflect on the entire team and program. If personal responsibility just isn't your thing, then there's a line of kids behind you who'd like their chance.

Well, college kids are still kids, and like at home, every infraction doesn't have to warrant major punishment and dismissal. Learning and growing is still the goal, and if a kid can change, then a coach shouldn't jump straight to dismissal.

I suspect, though, your broader thought is the power of a Title IX investigation as applied to your average college student (sports or no). While the facts stated previously are valid: Sex assault denies opportunity on the basis of sex, attending a University is a privilege and not a right, and evidence needed to convict at a criminal trial is and should be at a higher standard than other places. However, let's not pretend that getting kicked out of a University on the basis of a sex assault finding isn't devastating to someone's future.

In that light, I can agree that Title IX Compliance offices are often tasked with a responsibility that they're not equipped for. They lack investigative authority such as warrants or subpoenas (rightly). While it's ultra-rare for someone to claim to be a victim for vengeance (or other) purposes, even defending yourself against a misplaced (while otherwise valid) accusation can be ruinous.

and the system is a result of society, right or wrong

if it keeps going, texting and driving will be a felony

The society you speak of will never render that result - better to let some motorists die than to take away our seductive smartphones while running errands.

There is some stupid car commercial (the commercial is stupid) but it has the masses all walking around staring at their phones and the car manages not to run them down.

I'm often over in the park on a beautiful day walking with the wife and see youngster - at least they are walking - staring at their phones.  This is akin to crack.  

I'm on Facebook reasonably often, and not really that connected to Twitter. I do have to remind myself to put the phone down and pick up something else, like a musical instrument, from time to time.

I ride my bike frequently. You can't really putz with a phone and pedal, so there's that. The cell phone thing comes from "fear of missing out". When I was in college, we had online Dungeons and Dragons type games that were more social than game. Lots of chatting. When you logged off and went to bed, it felt like there was a party going on in the next room and you weren't invited. I see that same effect with constantly connected computing (communicating) devices today.