Amid a discussion by some whether there is a sexual violence culture on campus, Ohio University procedures addressing sexual misconduct cases have recently been reworked.
The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights distributed a letter in April 2011 asking educational institutions to better address sexual misconduct cases.
The changes went into effect Aug. 1. When a student files a sexual misconduct complaint to the university against another OU student, the investigation process will be less repetitive and hopefully quicker, said Martha Compton, director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility.
“Nobody wants to go through that process, but our goal is to make it as professional, high quality … and sensitive as possible so we can get folks an answer as soon as possible,” Compton said.
Students involved in an alleged incident will immediately be offered support from resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services and the Survivor Advocacy Program, regardless of their role in the accusation.
“We try to link people up with resources and try to get a good support system in place for them,” said Brenda Strickland, Survivor Advocacy program coordinator.
Previously, the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Community Standards held separate investigations followed by a hearing. The offices are combining those processes and eliminating the hearing, for which student members were present, in the hopes of making the process more private, Compton said.
“It really gives them the opportunity to have really trained people listen to their story and hear all the evidence without feeling like they have to face the person they are accusing,” Compton said.
OU hired Rebecca Lawrence as Title IX Investigator in the Office of Institutional Equity to focus on investigating alleged cases of sexual misconduct. She was unable to be reached by press time.
After information has been gathered, staff will speak with Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones to come to a final decision, using a standard of proof that depends on “a preponderance of evidence.”
“It doesn’t have to be, ‘Absolutely this person did it,’ it just has to be, ‘Is it 51 percent more likely that this person did it?’” Hall-Jones said.
Students are not required to report their cases to the Athens Police Department or OU Police Department, though the authorities are notified of university investigations, Compton said.
Criminal charges are only a possibility if the student reports the accused to the police. University punishment for individuals found guilty of sexual misconduct range from a semester suspension to expulsion.
“We have a higher standard for our students … the law is the minimum of what we expect,” Compton said.
The university previously had a full-time staff member dedicated to addressing sexual misconduct cases, but the position was dissolved when the Campus Involvement Center was created in 2008 and budget cuts were implemented, said Terry Koons, associate director at the Involvement Center for Health Promotion.
Currently, Koons has added the job to his duties, which also include teaching, addressing alcohol issues and supervising others in the organization.
“Right now, with our staffing level, we are doing the best we can do,” he said.
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