Tensions Boiling Over As Faculty, Alum and Students Clash With Administration Over Federal Investigation

A series of confrontations between Occidental College administrators and alum, students and faculty are reportedly being caused by the school's federal Title IX investigation.

According to witness accounts obtained by the Huffington Post, an Occidental trustee shoved an alum and shouted at students who voiced concern over the investigation. Some faculty members also critical of the school claim their offices were broken into as a form of retaliation.
The most recent incident occurred April 28 at a dinner for the Occidental Board of Trustees. As the dinner attendees were leaving, two trustees approached the students, who held signs reading "In Solidarity With Survivors."

CLICK HERE to read the HP's full piece, including the audio files.

Cathy Selleck reportedly shoved a camera into a woman's face while Stephen Hinchliffe Jr., vice chair of the board, shouted directly at one student in particular. Hinchcliffe demanded to know the names of students found responsible of sexual assault, but the group maintained it was not their place and that the school knows who the perpetrators are.

"This is not the sign of someone who wants to learn more about what's going on on campus," said Rachel Buckner, the Occidental junior whom Hinchliffe confronted.

Previously, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who covered the Occidental investigation was fired.

The U.S. Education Department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) began an investigation last year after receiving complaints the school was underreporting sexual assault and ignoring multiple serial rapists. Title IX is a federal gender equity law protecting against sexual discrimination and the Clery Act requires schools to file an annual transparency report of all campus crimes.

"This is a reputational concern for all of us," Occidental president Jonathan Veitch said during a March 18 meeting, according to audio provided to the HP. "If the institution can't be trusted to tell the truth about something as important as this, it can't be trusted to tell the truth about a variety of things."