Ohio State Agrees To Fix Title IX Compliance Problems

The U.S. Department of Education said Ohio State University is taking steps to address issues with its sexual harassment policies. The Education Department found some of its procedures violated Title IX rules. The Education Department’s Civil Rights Office found some of Ohio State’s policies and procedures addressing sexual harassment and assault were “confusing,” and investigators found it was unclear whether the university took action to address some complaints. The Office of Civil Rights' review, which began in 2010, found up to 20 percent of resident assistants were not trained about sexual harassment policies and procedures. And there was “substantial confusion” on how and where to report such incidents. The report acknowledges the university has taken steps to address many of the issues. OSU spokesman Chris Davey said the university is pleased federal investigators found no major concerns and found OSU does have proper procedures in place to combat sexual harassment. Davey said the university has agreed to fix remaining problems. “Most of the issues that are identified in this agreement we have already addressed and we have processes in place for continuing to improve our Title IX compliance program.” OSU asked federal investigators to end the review after the university investigation into a "sexualized" culture with in the marching band. The university agreed to a resolution earlier this month to address the compliance issues. Ohio State has agreed to revise certain policies, review how the university handled previous sexual harassment complaints dating back to 2011 and expand its sexual harassment training. The Office of Civil Rights will monitor the university to make sure it implements the changes. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon commended Ohio State for how it handled what she called a “culture of silence related to sexual harassment.”