Stanford University bans hard liquor after Brock Turner case

Stanford University has a new student alcohol policy in place which prohibits hard alcohol at undergraduate parties on campus.

The decision to ban hard alcohol follows the conviction of former Stanford swimmer, Brock Turner, who was sentenced in June to six months of jail and probation for three counts of sexually assaulting a woman while she was unconscious in 2015.

The sentence was controversial in part due to Turner blaming his actions on the "binge-drinking culture" that surrounded him at the California school. Many people have spoken out against Brock using drinking as an excuse for sexual assault.

A Stanford spokesperson, Lisa Lapin, told Mashable via email that the policy was not related directly to the Turner case but came from a long-standing concern about high-risk drinking on campus.

In a letter published by the New York Times, the now 21-year-old Turner claimed that while he was at school he spent a great deal of time around people that consumed alcohol daily. "I thought it was fundamental to being in college and living like a college student," Turner wrote. "During this discovery of what I thought was a college lifestyle, I also had the opportunity to witness on multiple occasions people being intimate at parties that involved alcohol."

Turner continuously blamed the consumption of alcohol and the party culture for his actions.

"At this point in my life, I never want to have a drop of alcohol again," the former Stanford swimmer wrote. "I never want to attend a social gathering that involves alcohol or any situation where people make decisions based on the substances they have consumed."

A letter to the court by the unidentified 23-year-old victim, put into perspective Turner's belief that alcohol could be used an excuse for the assault. "Alcohol is not an excuse. Is it a factor? Yes. But alcohol was not the one who stripped me, fingered me, had my head dragging against the ground, with me almost fully naked," she wrote. 

Critics of Stanford's new drinking rules believe they put the focus on drinking culture, rather than education around sexual assault and consent. Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor and friend of the victim, wrote on Twitter: "Sadly, Stanford appears to agree with Brock Turner that 'alcohol' and 'party culture' are to blame for his conduct."

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It should be noted, the university has additional education in place around consent or sexual assault. Lapin confirmed to Mashable the school's sexual assault programs have been updated, though she claims changes were "not in response to Brock Turner but in response to a year-long study of sexual assault programs on campus."

The school's President John L. Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy announced the new student alcohol policy on Monday in the form of a letter sent to all new and returning undergraduates.

The policy officially states that only beer and wine will be allowed at on-campus undergraduate student parties and hard alcohol (in the form of mixed drinks) will only be allowed at parties hosted by graduate students. Hennessy and Etchemendy claim the new policy is part of an effort "to build a healthier campus culture around alcohol."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

UPDATE: Aug. 23, 2016, 5:53 p.m. EDT: An additional statement from Stanford University regarding campus education initiatives.