On Campus

Office of Civil Rights representatives to visit campus as part of Title IX investigation

Kiran Ramsey | Senior Design Editor

The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights will visit Syracuse University later this month and hold two community meetings in Schine Student Center.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights will visit Syracuse University later this month as part of its Title IX investigation into the university, according to an email sent from university officials to students on Thursday.

SU is currently under investigation for its handling of a sexual assault case. The investigation was opened on June 22, 2016, in response to a Title IX complaint filed by a former student. The student claims the university failed to “respond promptly or equitably” to a report of sexual assault.

The representatives will hold two community meetings open to students, faculty and staff during the visit, on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m. and 9:30 a.m., respectively. The meetings will take place at the Schine Student Center in room 228B.

During the meetings, the OCR representatives will discuss the office’s role in the investigation and will accept questions and information from attendees. Individual appointments are also being available for the campus community to discuss sexual assault and harassment issues with the OCR staff during its visit.

The investigation at SU is one of about 300 current Title IX investigations being conducted at college campuses across the country. The investigation will determine whether SU students are subject to a “sexually hostile environment,” but the OCR has not yet determined whether there was wrongdoing on the university’s part.



The email called the OCR visit “standard protocol.”





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