Four women filed a Title IX civil lawsuit against MSU, President Lou Anna K. Simon, and Vice President of Student Services Denise Maybank over complaints in how their sexual assault cases were handled during their time as students at MSU
Last April, when most students were frantically studying for exams, applying for summer jobs or getting ready to graduate, they might remember a survey sent out by President Lou Anna K.
As students begin to get settled into their new class and work schedules, it can be easy for them to overlook an email from the president of MSU about revisions to the University’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy, but a spokesperson for MSU says this is not information that should be overlooked.
7 things that everyone should know about the U.S. Office of Civil Rights investigation into MSU's handling of sexual assault, violence and harassment.
Back in April 2014, a State News investigation found MSU had allowed a sexual assault case to drag on for 235 days — well outside the bounds of its own 120-day deadline, and certainly outside the 60-day deadline mandated by the 2011 "Dear Colleague" Letter, which introduced guidelines for Title IX compliance.
The OCR’s report offers a sobering look inside the innermost workings of the university’s response to complaints of sexual violence and harassment. Rather than seeking to deflect or minimize the OCR’s findings, the university should respond with humility; apologizing for past mistakes and demonstrate their commitment to improvement by transparently adhering to their consent agreement with the OCR.
One of the larger allegations against MSU in the report was one of a university counselor who was reported as having sexually harassed women who were seeking counseling after being sexually assaulted.
Social relations and policy senior Emily Kollaritsch is giving her all to change the way MSU treats victims of sexual assault and their cases.
She waited six-and-a-half months for the report. Two hundred one days for four interviews. Her statement, her harasser’s and two witnesses. A 13-page, double-spaced summary. And while she waited, her harasser lived in the same residence hall. They were in the same class.