OCR spokesman Jim Bradshaw also revealed the third complaint involves an allegation that “A student was subjected to retaliatory harassment by another student and that MSU did not take appropriate action in response once the university was notified, allowing a hostile environment to continue.”
The revelation suggests the OCR could be expanding its inquiry - perhaps based on information obtained in interviews conducted on campus earlier this month - although officials are not discussing details because the investigation is still open.
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said Tuesday during a Steering Committee meeting that of the three cases pending against MSU, two were from “a while ago.”
Although Simon would not comment on specific details of the cases, she said all of the cases under review were investigated at the time they occurred and were handled promptly.
Simon also addressed the topic during Wednesday’s Council of Graduate Students meeting, reassuring those listening that the university handled the situations in question appropriately.
University spokesman Jason Cody previously told The State News a sexual assault investigation is related to a case that took place in August 2010 in Wonders Hall.
The description closely matches an alleged sexual assault involving two MSU basketball players, but university officials have neither confirmed nor denied the correlation.
Specific details on the one remaining case have not been released publicly.
As far as how long the OCR would be investigating MSU and the policies, Simon said there are no set time limits.
Simon maintained the university has been transparent in the review process, noting that Title IX Coordinator Paulette Granberry Russell gave a presentation to academic governance committees in the fall notifying staff of “policy changes.”
Simon would not comment on whether MSU was notified of the investigation in September when the presentation was given, or when the investigations were filed.
“We are notified by OCR process any time an individual case is given to the OCR,” she said. “That’s different than the review that occurred this last week.”
Simon also mentioned the letter sent out to the MSU community by Granberry Russell on Feb. 21.
The letter notified students of a collaboration with the OCR, and offered students the opportunity to meet with OCR representatives during office hours on campus.
“I think it would be an incorrect inference to believe that this is the only time individual cases have been reviewed,” she said. “That would be an incorrect inference from the letter.”
