ASU: We take Title IX sexual misconduct complaints seriously
May 1, 2014, 12:03 PM | Updated: 12:04 pm
Arizona State University released a statement Thursday after it was was named one of 55 colleges and universities facing a Title IX inquiry over their handling of sexual-abuse complaints:
Arizona State University takes all Title IX sexual misconduct complaints very seriously, thoroughly investigates them and if violations are found, delivers swift and appropriate punishment. The underlying matter leading to the university’s appearance on this list was handled consistent with these standards.
As the Department of Education makes clear in its release, a college or university’s appearance on this list and being the subject of a Title IX investigation in no way indicates that the college or university is violating or has violated the law. The Office of Civil Rights does not investigate the underlying complaint; rather, OCR reviews how an institution has handled a complaint.
When ASU was informed by OCR that it had received a complaint, the university promptly provided all relevant information to the agency. The OCR has approached ASU with the possibility of entering into a pre-investigation resolution. OCR visited ASU in September 2013 to gather information, and the university has been waiting for further word.
