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Show ADMINISTRATION 14 Westminster under investigation Catherine Blakemore Production Manager by 8 STUDENT GOVERNMENT Office for Civil Rights does happen, Flores said According to Flores, Westminster did address the case Westminsters campus will host federal officials from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the first week of November in response to a complaint about Westminsters handling of a sexual assault case in 2013. but, according to the complaint, Westminster did not address it adequately. is the new Title IX Jason Schwartz-Johnso- n Coordinator and EEO Compliance Officer. Schwartz-Johnso- n has been serving in this role on campus for four OCR will be investigating sexual assault cases involving students in the past few years, as well as determining how successful Title IX training is on Westminsters campus. Melissa Flores is Westminsters general counsel and has been in her role since November of 2013. They are going to want to see what are we doing to train people, what are we doing to educate on our Title IX policy and practice, what are we doing to provide resources for students, Flores said. Its really a compliance review, which we welcome. On Nov. 10, 2014, the United States OCR received a complaint about Westminster Colleges handling of a sexual assault allegation. On Jan. 20, 2015, Westminster College received the notification of the complaint stemming from a sexual assault incident in 2013. With the emphasis that has been placed with preventing sexual violence on college campuses, particularly with respect to sexual assault and dating domestic violence and stalking, OCR has made a concerted effort in the last year and a half, really, to focus on better ways to educate our students about their rights, to educate about what is prohibited conduct and to address that conduct when it manifests itself at one of our schools and to make sure it doesnt happen again, if it weeks. I have to constantly be on top of what the changes Schwartz-Johnso- n are, said. Last semester, Jane Jerman, junior communication major from Spring Creek, Nevada, became part of the committee that rewrites the policies for Westminsters adherence to Title IX regulations. There were students on that panel of individuals that helped rewrite that policy, which I found really amazing, Schwartz-Johnso- n, Title IX coordinator, said. I came here from University of Illinois in Chicago and am really impressed by the knowledge that students have about Title IX, as well as their commitment to it and what it involves. Jerman, who is part of the Title IX committee, said that she wanted to change the outline of the Title IX policy to better serve students who were to go in and ask if there was a way for Westminster to help them with a situation they encountered. I started realizing that our policy was not serving students to the greatest extent that it could. I pushed really hard to get a very strong Yes Means Yes policy in our Title IX, which is so that consent can not be construed by not speaking, body language; it would be pure verbal consent, Jerman said. Schwartz-Johnso- n, the Title IX coordinator, said that he feels like the complaint was filed after the first symposium because that symposium provided the resources for the student to come forward to the OCR. We are glad to have OCR here," Schwartz-Johnso- n said. Through the review, we are going to know that our policy is in utmost compliance. Were going to be on the forefront of whats happening compared to other schools in the nation. a a i r-- 6 t k i It t cjjajr. !yrrsiols, f 4 TBS J i H islfikvi isvilHsiS ,Usr & fn I I I it? f i ' ( L v & SHOW YOUR CURRENT WESTMINSTER I.D. AND RECEIVE 10 OFF ALL FOOD BEVERAGES. ANY TIME, ANY DAY! NON-ALCOHOL- IC - J a cj.flitifr |