The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights is investigating LSU for an alleged violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, according to a letter from the department addressed to LSU President F. King Alexander.
The letter, dated Aug. 1, informed Alexander the Department of Education received a formal complaint of discrimination from a student who claimed LSU discriminated against her based on her gender, breaking Title IX regulations.
The letter states the complainant alleged LSU failed to respond in a “prompt and appropriate manner” when the student notified campus authorities of her March 28 rape in her dormitory.
A “forcible rape” was reported in Baton Rouge General Medical Center at 10:58 a.m. March 28, according to the LSUPD crime log.
After reviewing the complaint and other information regarding the complaint, OCR initiated an investigation to determine if LSU failed to appropriately respond to the report and other similar reports filed by students and whether that alleged failure “caused one or more students to be (or continue to be) subjected to a sexually hostile environment…,” according to the letter.
In the letter, OCR requested the university provide information relevant to the investigation and resolution of the student’s complaint.
“…OCR also has a right to review personally identifiable records without regards to considerations of privacy or confidentiality,” the letter reads.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act grants this right, according to the document.
Melissa Huling Malonson, senior attorney for the OCR Dallas Office, attached a data request for information from the specified case and a summary of all formal and informal investigations of discrimination based on sex for the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. LSU was required to provide official documentation within 30 days of the letter’s date.
Requested data included a copy of LSU’s policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment and/or sexual assault, names and contact information for LSU faculty assigned to enforce Title IX policies, grievance procedures for victims and an explanation of how LSU responds to sexual assault complaints.
OCR also requested LSU provide “any and all” documentation of LSU’s investigation of the case in question, including witness accounts and testimonies, factual evidence and the name and title and contact information for the person responsible for conducting the investigation.
LSU was required to formally respond to the student’s allegations.
“The complainant informed OCR that once she reported the alleged sexual assault to LSU campus police and after an arrest was made of Student A during LSU’s Spring Break, at no time was the complainant informed about or referred to the Title IX regulations and/or grievance procedures…,” the letter reads.
While LSU did refer her to mental and physical health services following the rape, the student complained she was not informed about other interim measures LSU could provide, such as academic assistance.