FOUR CALIFORNIA CAMPUSES AMONG 55 UNIVERSITIES NON-COMPLIANT IN SEXUAL ABUSE HANDLING
May 7, 2014
U.S Vice President Joe Biden speaks during an event on protecting students from sexual assault on April 29, 2014 in Washington, DC. During the event, Biden announced the release of the first report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Summary: The U.S. Department of Education released a list of 55 colleges and universities that illegally handled sexual violence and harassment complaints; of which, four are California schools.
Earlier this week, the Department of Education released a list of 55 colleges and universities that were found non-compliant with sexual abuse and harassment reporting procedures in an effort to increase transparency and community dialogue. The release of this list along with top-level support from President Obama is a strong step forward to cull a culture of silence on our campuses.
This list hits home for California residents; four of our campuses were on the non-compliant list:
- Butte-Glen Community College District (Oroville, Chico, Orland)
- Occidental College (Los Angeles)
- University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
U.C. Berkeley students Meghan Warner, Iman Stenson and Shannon Thomas at a press conference on campus in February 2013. Photo by Mike Drummond/Senior Staff
Of these schools, the work being done by student government and victims at UC-Berkeley is both trailblazing and commendable. In the past year and a half, the student body has taken charge of a rampant sexual abuse endemic on their campus, and has taken ownership of the solution. The volume of the student body’s voice sparked this federal investigation in the first place, which in turn has led the university to significantly shore up its sexual abuse policies, including the hiring of a full-time survivor advocate to assist victims.
There is more work to be done though; again using UC-Berkeley as the example, victims want to see further changes in how the internal judicial process is conducted. Not to minimize the holes in the current process in Berkeley, but victims at most of these other universities on this list would be very happy if their schools had made similar progress on their sexual abuse stature.
If your child is a victim at one of these schools, we can help. To find out more about the victim’s legal rights, contact Estey & Bomberger today to get a free consultation at (800) 925-0723 or via email at info@estey-bomberger.com.
Sources:
55 colleges under investigation over handling of sexual violence complaints
List of Colleges under investigation
Not Alone: The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault
Colleges under fire for handling of sexual assault cases
Student advocates promote accountability
Nation: 55 schools face US federal sex assault probe
Stop sexual assaults on campuses
55 Colleges Named in Federal Inquiry Into Handling of Sexual Assault Cases
Sexual assault victims file federal complaint
UC Berkeley Students Press for Stronger Action on Sexual Assaults