By City News ServiceÂ
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A USC official said today the university plans to cooperate fully with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights into allegations by a group of students that the college failed to properly look into allegations of rape and sexual assault.
The opening of an investigation is an expected step in the process, and the OCR states that `opening the allegations for investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determination with regard to their merits,''' according to Jody Shipper, USC's Title IX coordinator and executive director of the Office of Equity and Diversity.
"We look forward to working with OCR to address any concerns and review our protocols as needed,'' Shipper said.
Members of the Student Coalition Against Rape -- SCAR -- filed an equal opportunity complaint with the U.S. Department of Education last spring, claiming that the school grossly mishandles sexual assaults and rapes on its
campus.
Similar complaints were filed against other universities, including Occidental College, UC Berkeley, Dartmouth, Swarthmore and Yale.
A SCAR spokeswoman said Saturday that federal officials had notified the organization that a probe had been opened.
About 12 people took part in a news conference on the USC campus today to provide details of their experiences with the university.
"I blogged openly about the details of my rape and the university's abuses and watched as my inbox filled with messages from fellow students who had experienced the same injustices and stayed silent,'' one student said.
Shipper said the university updated its sexual assault reporting guidelines in 2011-12 and has been reviewing its policies and procedures to respond to updated federal guidelines.
"The university remains vigilant in addressing any issues promptly and fully as they arise,'' Shipper said. "The university offers confidential resources for students including the Student Counseling Center and the Center for Women and Men.''
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