Reason not disclosed; officials mum due to sensitivity of issues
By Dave Fidlin
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is one of 55 colleges and universities across the nation under investigation by a federal agency for sexual abuse complaints.
The U.S. Education Department on May 1 revealed the higher education facilities were being examined under terms of Title IX, a federal law that was enacted in 1972 and is aimed at ensuring people of both genders have equal access to a quality education.
UW-Whitewater is the only Wisconsin school named to the list, which includes public and private institutions, and runs the gamut of schools with large to small student populations.
Because of the sensitivity of the situation, UW-Whitewater officials have been mum about the specific issue this past week.
“UW-Whitewater is concerned about the safety and well-being of its students, faculty and staff, and takes reports of sexual violence and harassment seriously,” Sara Kuhl, director of UW-Whitewater’s marketing and media relations said in a statement.
Kuhl said the university is aware of the complaint, which was filed with the federal office of Civil Rights.
“That complaint is currently under investigation,” Kuhl said. “Because of that ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further.”
Kuhl also stated “all reports of sexual or gender-based misconduct are investigated in a timely and effective manner” by campus police and other top officials. She said victims are provided with a number of resources – including how to obtain counseling.
As with all college campuses, UW-Whitewater is required to report campus-related crimes on an annual basis with federal authorities as part of the Campus Safety Act.
According to statistics posted on the university’s website, UW-Whitewater has had incidents of sexual offenses in recent years. In 2010 and 2011, the university had five documented cases each year.
In 2012, the year with the data most recently available, the number of cases rose to eight.
A complete listing of all of UW-Whitewater’s crime statistics from 2010-2012 can be viewed at the following link: www.uww.edu/annual-safety-report/reported-crimes.
While sexual assaults have trended upward, other crimes have decreased. Burglaries dropped sharply in the most recent reported year. There were 11 documented cases each in 2010 and 2011, and three cases in 2012.
While the U.S. Education Department has routinely used Title IX as a mechanism for investigating sexual assault cases, this year’s naming of colleges and universities is a first.
President Barack Obama and his administration have touted greater transparency on issues concerning sexual assaults within the higher education environment.
“We hope this increased transparency will spur community dialogue about this important issue,” said Catherine Lhamon, the U.S. Education Department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, in a statement.
According to the U.S. Education Department, the cases under investigation bubbled to the surface through a variety of means. Some investigations were prompted by the department itself, while others were initiated by news stories involving specific cases.
The reason behind UW-Whitewater’s investigation has not been disclosed. It also remains uncertain when the investigation will be completed.
