Yale student suspended again amid new allegations of sexual assault

Saifullah Khan, on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a female classmate, leaves New Haven Superior Court in New Haven in February. Saifullah Khan, on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a female classmate, leaves New Haven Superior Court in New Haven in February. Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media File Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media File Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Yale student suspended again amid new allegations of sexual assault 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — A Yale student who was acquitted earlier this year of sexually assaulting a female student reportedly has been suspended by university officials in the wake of allegations by a former male friend of his that he sexually assaulted him.

Saifullah Khan was notified several days ago by Yale College Dean Marvin M. Chun that he was suspended immediately from Yale College because of an “emergency,” according to the Hartford Courant.

The letter by Chun to Khan reportedly said “an emergency suspension may be imposed when it appears necessary for your physical and emotional safety and well-being and/or the safety and well-being of the university community.”

Chun reportedly wrote the university was suspending Khan “based on allegations that you engaged in violent behavior toward Jon Andrews and another person.”

Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said the university had no comment on the issue. He declined to even confirm whether Khan was suspended.

Khan’s attorney, Norm Pattis, responded by filing a motion in Superior Court in New Haven seeking an order to permit him to return to classes and provide him with an escort or bodyguard to protect him from fellow students and faculty.

The motion was not immediately granted but a hearing has been scheduled in the matter.

Pattis said Wednesday that Yale’s suspension of Khan is “a ridiculous move.”

Asked why Khan needs an escort or bodyguard, Pattis said, “Yale thinks he needs to be suspended in part for his own safety. I know the campus is infested with PC (politically correct) zombies. Perhaps Yale is aware of a threat we have not been told about.”

This is the second time Khan has been suspended from Yale. The first suspension occurred in November 2015 when a Yale student alleged Khan had sexually assaulted her in her dormitory in the early-morning hours of Nov. 1, 2015.

The woman and Khan testified during his trial in March of this year. The New Haven Superior Court jury found Khan not guilty of sexual assault in the first, second, third and fourth degrees.

Khan, a 25-year-old senior, was allowed to resume taking courses this fall because the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct had not made its decision on whether he is guilty of such misconduct.

But last week the Yale Daily News published a lengthy story containing the allegations by Andrews, who is not a Yale student. The story said Andrews and Khan “had developed an emotional bond that evolved into a romantic relationship.”

But Andrews, who is gay, alleged in his interview with the student newspaper that Khan sexually assaulted him and a woman in a three-way sexual encounter in Washington, D.C., last June. Andrews also alleged Khan physically attacked him on two other occasions: striking him across the face and suffocating him. No charges have been filed for any of those alleged attacks.

Another attorney for Khan, Margaret Valois, told the Yale Daily News that Khan has had no sexual contact with Andrews. She said the allgations are “ridiculous” and “false and defamatory.” The Register was unable to reach her for comment.

Pattis said Wednesday of Andrews’ allegations: “I look forward to cross-examining him. If he wants to be queen for a day, I’ll oblige him.”

In a follow-up story Wednesday, the Yale Daily News quoted students who spoke of “growing concerns about the threats Khan’s presence poses to their safety on campus.”

During Khan’s trial, Pattis used his closing argument to criticize some Yale students for seeking “a politically correct garden.”

In an interview after the not guilty verdict, Pattis said supporters of the #MeToo movement have “gone a little crazy” and “abandoned reason.” Pattis said Khan had been “deeply wounded by the savage public hostility toward him.”

Pattis has been equally critical of Yale officials. He said they should have never suspended Khan after the allegations in 2015.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com