Track Title IX Campus Investigations With This Database at The Chronicle of Higher Education

With different news sources regularly reporting different stories of sexual misconduct and Title IX violations at schools across the nation, it can be difficult to keep track of it all. It can especially be challenging to know whether a particularly school is under investigation or has been investigated for potentially mishandling sexual violence complaints. This is important information for students, prospective students, employees, and others interested in a particular institution. The Chronicle of Higher Education makes it easier to learn such information by providing a Title IX Investigation Tracker that is available to the public online.

The tracker reports information on investigations opened since the federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued its 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter. That letter started a new wave of enforcement of how colleges and universities handle Title IX matters relating to sexual misconduct. Over the next couple of years, OCR began opening investigations much faster than it could close them, resulting in many open investigations still pending against numerous schools. For instance, the 2014 report of open investigations by the Department of Education revealed that 55 schools had open investigations. Currently, the online investigation tracker shows 337 open investigations, with 121 resolved cases.

The tracking tool does not provide information about internal investigations at schools, private lawsuits against schools, or legislation regarding sexual assault on campus. By tracking federal investigations, however, it does give insight into how schools have handled sexual assault-related matters and possible Title IX violations.

How Can You Use the Tracker?

The tracking tool provides organized information regarding each school and each investigation searchable in several ways:

• View a list of all investigations listed in alphabetical order by school name
• Search by a keyword
• Search by an institution name
• Use filters to view applicable investigations, which may include:
  • Case status
  • State of the institution
  • Resolution type
  • How the investigation was initiated, such as by compliance review or student complaint
  • Schools that have multiple investigations

In addition, you can register to receive email alerts that provide updates when new investigations open or when existing ones close. The database regularly updates its pages with documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. There is also a feed of “Recent Developments” so you can easily learn of changes in investigations, as well as links to Title IX-related articles.

A sample of information easily found on the database as of March 28, 2018:

• Twenty-eight schools in New York State have active investigations.
• Eight of those schools have faced multiple investigations.
• Six of the active investigations were initiated by a student complaint.

If you or your child will be attending college in New York, this information may be helpful, especially if you examine the details of specific investigations.

The rise in investigations and the availability of information provided by resources like the Chronicle of Higher Education database have led many institutions to take steps to proactively improve Title IX compliance. These efforts include starting task forces, hiring investigators and coordinators dedicated solely to Title IX sexual misconduct complaints, conducting surveys, improving response time, instituting greater prevention measures, and more. These tracking tools not only provide more transparent and organized information for students and parents but also can help improve Title IX procedures and sexual assault prevention on campuses wishing to avoid publicized investigations.

Consult With a Title IX Lawyer for More Information Today

Title IX complaints regarding sexual assault on campus or against an institution for Title IX violations present complex legal challenges. Anyone who believes their rights have been violated under Title IX should discuss the situation with an experiencedTitle IX attorney as soon as possible. Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP regularly handles these cases and stands up for the rights of students across the U.S. Call our office at 212-736-4500 or contact us online to learn more.