Dive Brief:
- A new book by Jon Krakauer, "Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town," is renewing attention on the University of Montana and the town of Missoula, where sexual assault cases have been drawn into the national spotlight in recent years.
- According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the book criticizes the actions of the Missoula police department much more than the university, where enrollment has dropped more than 13% since the 2011-12 school year — to some extent because of negative publicity.
- While the university has made significant reforms since the cases Krakauer highlights, student activists say the campus hasn’t necessarily had a culture shift, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
Sexual assault on college campuses has become a major focus of student activism and official policy review since the U.S. Department of Education reminded schools of their responsibilities under Title IX, a gender equity law that brought women into sports and now gets the most attention for obligating schools to provide environments free of sexual assault and harassment. The department’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating more than 100 schools, double its prior caseload, for their handling of sexual assault cases on campus. Some argue colleges and universities are simply not equipped to arbitrate such cases between students. Krakauer’s book brings the onus firmly on local law enforcement.