EAST LANSING (MI)
The Detroit News
February 13, 2018
By Jonathan Oosting
Michigan State University is bringing in outside help to speed up investigations into growing complaints of sexual assault and harassment on campus, which officials say now take an average of 80 days to complete.
The university announced Tuesday that the Office of Institutional Equity has hired the Kroll corporate investigation firm of New York to assist with Title IX relationship violence and sexual misconduct cases.
Reports of sexual assault and harassment at MSU increased by 35 percent between the academic year 2015-16 and 2016-17, according to the university. Officials expect that number to continue to climb as more victims feel comfortable reporting incidents.
“We are taking active steps to make MSU a shining example of Title IX compliance; 80 days is not only far too long for a response to a complaint, it’s totally unacceptable,” Interim President John Engler said in a statement. “We owe it to all those who have been assaulted and had the bravery to step forward to have a safer MSU be their legacy.”
MSU policies and practices for investigating sexual assault allegations have been under scrutiny with the recent conviction for former university and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who is accused of assaulting more than 200 young girls and women over the course of more than two decades.
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