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Sexual Violence and Title IX Compliance
Ellen M. BabbittAllison J. Boyle
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Goals for this Presentation:• Brief Overview of Title IX, DCL, 2001 Guidance and
Resolution Agreements
• Increasing Student Buy-In and Overcoming Disincentives to Report
• Recurring Issues–Reporters’ Requests for Anonymity and/or No Action–Relationships with Local Law Enforcement– Fair and Equitable Hearings and Investigations
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Format of this Presentation:
• Discussion, not lecture
• All questions and “hypos” welcome
• We (and your NACUA colleagues) welcome any new ideas and strategies for addressing difficult issues
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Brief Overview:
• Title IX
• 2001 Guidance
• April 4, 2011 DCL
• Recent Resolution Agreements
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Bottom line requirements:
• Title IX coordinator
• Updated policies harmonized between constituencies
• Fair, effective, & equitable investigations and hearings
• Appropriate interaction with law enforcement
• Training
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Continuing Issues:
• Increasing student and community “buy in”• Balancing confidentiality concerns vs. protection of
the community• Relationship between law enforcement and on-
campus proceedings• Issues regarding “fair and equitable”
investigations and hearings on different types of campuses
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1. Increasing Student and Campus “Buy in”
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Talking to students about the role of alcohol without . . .
• “Blaming the victim” or being perceived as such
• Undermining institution’s Code of Conduct and prohibitions against underage drinking
• And how to address disputed situations in which both victim and accused were drunk in violation of school policies?
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Questions from students
• Students approach Dean of Student Life; indicate that they have heard that a sexual assault occurred on campus
• They believe “nothing is being done” and the University is not taking the complaint seriously
• The Student Newspaper picks up this refrain and publishes an Op-Ed demanding action
• How do you respond?
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Some strategies for overcoming disincentives to report
• Climate surveys
• Student meetings
• Transparency
• Training of students, using consistent message and programming content
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Questions?
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2. Confidentiality Issues
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“The reluctant complainant”
• Student confides to institutional rep about sexual harassment/violence
• Refuses to complain – directs you not to tell anyone
• Just wants to state it “for the record”• What is your obligation?• What should the Title IX coordinator do, assuming
you report?
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Variation on “reluctant complainant”
• Administrator hears rumor that a graduate student was sexually assaulted by professor, whom she had been dating
• She told a staff member, after swearing that person to secrecy
• Student allegedly does not want to complain because she is a member of a small program and everyone in the cohort, including the professor, will know who complained
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Questions?
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3. Fair/equitable investigations and hearings
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“Preponderance of the evidence”
• What if the Faculty handbook identifies “clear and convincing” evidence as the necessary standard for dismissing a faculty member for misconduct? Is this a violation of Title IX applied in a sexual harassment/assault case?
• What if the Student Disciplinary Code identifies a limitations period for the filing of a complaint against a student; is this a violation of Title IX as applied to a sexual assault allegation?
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Issues regarding hearings:
• Victim refuses to pursue complaint if respondent is allowed to be in hearing room with her; respondent has a right under the Student Disciplinary Code to confront accuser. Should the hearing proceed?
• Two victims accuse respondent; the day of the hearing, one of the victims withdraws her complaint and refuses to testify. Can institution consider her allegations as evidence that the other victim was assaulted?
• Respondent withdraws from school the day of the hearing and leaves town. What result?
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4. Relationship with local law enforcement
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Reporting incidents to police
• Does institution have an obligation to report sexual assaults to police? Is there any downside to doing so?
• Can institution postpone internal investigation/process if local law enforcement so directs? Must it do so?
• Should victims be encouraged to pursue internal complaint before going to the police?
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Questions?
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5. Training challenges
• How to train students
• How to prioritize training
• How often to train
• How to get students/faculty to attend training
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Examples of approaches that work
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Questions? Thoughts?
Thank you!