Two public Louisiana universities stand just 30 minutes apart, both with one major thing in common: having the lowest suspension and expulsion rates for sexual misconduct.
Louisiana Tech University and University of Monroe expelled or suspended the least number of students for sexual misconduct from 2014 to 2020 in a review of Title IX cases conducted by USA Today.
Both schools ranked last on USA Today’s compilation of data from 56 schools. Louisiana Tech suspended just two students under Title IX in seven years. ULM expelled one student.
The only other Louisiana public university on the list was LSU, which has been scrutinized for mishandling Title IX cases since USA Today’s investigative report into LSU Athletics and Title IX in November 2020.
Of its 33,760 students, LSU suspended 26 students and expelled three for sexual misconduct over the past seven years.
“I hate to say it, but I think that the Title IX issues in 2020 could’ve given Title IX attention at LSU, like more students know about it because of it and know where to file cases,” said LSU junior Autumn Siharath. “Maybe these other schools, Tech and ULM, haven’t had big, breakthrough cases like that so a lot of students don’t know about it.”
Any student can file a “power-based violence” report to their university’s Title IX office. Louisiana Legislature requires all public universities to share all power-based violence reports on their websites, typically listed as Chancellor’s data or complaint reports.
In their respective Chancellor’s reports from 2021 to 2022, ULM and Louisiana Tech each received four complaints about sexual harassment, stalking and non-consensual sexual contact. LSU received 182 complaints.
Bulk of LSU’s complaints were closed without any disciplinary action taken against the accused party, with 82% of them being closed for reasons such as “no response from complainant,” “complainant requested supportive measures only” and “complainant requested no further action.”
LSU’s Title IX coordinator Joshua Jones said that LSU only refers to cases as open or closed, regardless of the investigation status.
“The reason we might close a case is maybe the student didn’t reach out to us, maybe the student did reach out to us and said, ‘You know what, I want you to know about what I experienced, but I don’t want you to do anything,’” said Jones. “Closed means either we didn’t move forward in the case, or we did move forward in the case and the investigation and everything is complete.”
Jones said that cases may take longer to close depending on whether the student requests for a formal investigation or an informal resolution, but LSU’s Title IX office strives to close cases within 60 to 90 days.
While 165 of LSU’s complaints are closed cases, most of ULM and Louisiana Tech’s cases share a different status: pending.
Only one report from either school during the 2021-22 academic year was listed as closed. It was a sexual harassment report to Louisiana Tech, which was closed within 10 days.
Louisiana Tech’s Title IX Coordinator Mortissa Harvey did not provide a comment due to “ongoing litigation.” The university is currently being sued for allegedly failing to take action against a serial sexual assaulter and violating Title IX.
“Early in my time at Tech,” said Louisiana Tech senior Lauren Shirley, “I heard about a situation regarding reports from multiple girls for the same male student, but when he was made aware that he would be expelled, he transferred schools beforehand.”
Louisiana Tech was one of three Louisiana universities to allow Victor Silva to attend its university despite sexual misconduct reports. Silva was accused of assault by six different women from 2014 to 2020. He was never expelled or suspended from any of the universities he transferred to.
From 2014 to 2020, Tech only had a 0.2 expulsion or suspension rate. Shirley believes the university avoids punishing its students.
“They seem to give students a ‘warning’ after a report rather than moving forward with suspension or expulsion,” Shirley said. “When my friend filed a report against another student accusing him of sexual assault and stalking, it was immediately acted on – but when it came to further action, it fell short. The other student was talked to and he was told that if she came to Title IX office again regarding him, he would be expelled. Other than that, no safety measures were put in place.”
While Tech and LSU struggle with Title IX lawsuits and criticism from students, ULM students feel differently about their university.
“The school has tried to work with people to find the best option, whether that’s switching classes without an added fee or switching dorms,” said ULM alumna Madison Hernandez. “There is always room for improvement, but largely I think they do well.”
Hernandez said that ULM’s Title IX office had a quick response time during her attendance from 2018 to 2022, and the university provides classes with information on how and who to report sexual misconduct incidents to.
Meanwhile at LSU, students struggle to understand Title IX.
“I didn’t even know what Title IX was before coming to LSU,” Siharath said.
LSU’s Feminists In Action president Myrissa Eisworth said FIA works closely with the Title IX office to educate students and improve its services.
“They do a pretty good job of being self-aware about their shortcomings, and a major one we’ve discussed is just making the office more robust,” Eisworth said.
LSU’s Title IX office has expanded to 12 full time staff members, fostered a more active social media presence to spread awareness about its services and includes positions for students to work as peer educators.
“The office is full of really good people who are actively trying to better themselves and the office. They want student input,” Eisworth said. “Title IX tries. LSU upper administration does not.”
In addition to partnering with student organizations, Jones said that he regularly meets with other SEC schools’ Title IX coordinators to discuss sexual violence issues and the Title IX staff holds tabling events and training programs to help prevent power-based violence.
“If folks have suggestions, we always want to hear it,” Jones said. “We want to be there for students when and where they need us.”
Despite the Title IX office’s attempts, LSU students like Siharath are still skeptical about the process.
“I would contact the police, I wouldn’t contact the university. That’s probably the last thing a victim needs, for someone to say ‘Okay, I’ll file that for you,’ only for nothing to happen,” Siharath said. “Some of them might’ve loved their university at some point, and then it’s just all tainted…that’s the last thing anyone would want.”