Dive Brief:
- Tensions are high at Brown University, as the latest display of students' distrust in the school's officials came in the form of a 400-strong protest last week.
- The Huffington Post reports that students taped dollar bills across their mouths, drawing attention to a conflict of interest for the university when it was asked to investigate a Brown Corporation official’s son’s alleged drugging of women at a fraternity party.
- That case was thrown out following botched toxicology reports, according to the Huffington Post, and students have taken action against the university for failing to properly handle sexual assault cases, an accusation for which Brown University is currently under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
Dive Insight:
Dozens of top institutions have faced scrutiny for their handling of sexual assault cases where one student accuses another of rape or other actions. The inherent conflict of interest is that both students are part of the campus community that administrators are trying to protect. The Office of Civil Rights announced last year it was investigating nearly 70 institutions for failing to live up to their obligations under federal law, and even those that haven’t been identified in current cases are making changes to reporting procedures, adjudication guidelines, and support offerings on campus.
All higher education institutions are responsible for providing a safe environment free of sexual harassment or assault based on Title IX, which is best known for requiring education institutions to offer opportunities for women in sports. Students have become increasingly organized to demand this Title IX protection, including those at Brown University.