OCR Completes Hanover College Investigation, Finds No Evidence of Retaliation Against Student
ByThe U.S. Education Department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has wrapped up its investigation at Hanover College and found the school did not retaliate against a student who reported her sexual assault.
According to the Huffington Post, the OCR concluded its investigation last month and found "insufficient evidence" of retaliation on the school's part. In the initial complaint against the school, the student, known only as Samantha, alleged Hanover ignored her subsequent complaint that her assailant began harassing her.
In her federal complaint to the OCR, Samantha accused Hanover of retaliating against her with an investigation into her assailant's complaint that Samantha harassed him. The school found her "not responsible" for harassing the accused student, but reprimanded her behavior.
"We are pleased that Hanover College's actions were validated and that these allegations were thoroughly investigated and closed," Hanover President Sue DeWine said in a statement. "We will continue our goal of providing a safe and respectful campus community and will continue to protect the rights of each and every student."
The OCR found "the evidence is insufficient to establish that the College subjected [Samantha] to retaliation as alleged," the HP reported. The OCR concluded Hanover's actions were "protected" though "a casual connection existed" between Samantha's complaint and the school's harassment investigation.
"[Hanover's] reasons for its actions with regard to [Samantha's] fall 2013 allegations of retaliatory harassment were not a pretext for retaliation," the OCR wrote in its letter to Samantha and the school.
Hanover was also accused of not publicly identifying their Title IX coordinator, but the OCR considered "this allegation is resolved."
"In its response to OCR's data request, the College acknowledged that it had not identified its Title IX Coordinator in the Student Handbook," the OCR wrote.
Myra Mormile-Wolper, Samantha's attorney, told the HP she and her client are not happy with the result of the OCR's investigation. Mormile-Wolper also said she responded to the OCR's letter with one of her own requesting they "revisit its investigation."
"OCR should be firmly instructing colleges that, if they get a complaint against a woman who has reported a rape by her accuser, they must use some screening mechanism to make sure the assailant cannot re-victimize her by misusing the college's complaint process," Mormile-Wolper said.