Sexual harassment and discrimination complaints across California State University are largely ignored, according to a long-awaited report.
The nation’s largest public university system fails to respond adequately to sexual harassment and discrimination complaints from employees and students due to few resources and little staffing. The lack of infrastructure to address these issues had led to virtually no accountability measures and a culture of distrust across the 23-campus system.
The 232-page systemwide report also found that CSU has no way to address misconduct that may not rise to the level of outright discrimination or harassment but is still “disruptive to the learning, living, and working environment.” In total, the report listed 2,593 reports of sexual misconduct were found systemwide in the 2021-22 academic year.
“What we heard at many CSU universities were deeply held feelings of anger, grief, and pain in response to the incidents,” according to the report, which was prepared after interviewing current and former administrators and surveying nearly 18,000 students, faculty and staff. “We heard grave disappointment and sorrow in what many viewed as an institutional betrayal.”
Cal State enrolls more than 460,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The system employs nearly 56,000 staff, faculty, and administrators, of which 3,100 are student employees.
The report found a greater need for more oversight, accountability and support from the chancellor’s office for Title IX and DHR compliance. There was a lack of consistency in the systemwide role of the Title IX compliance officer. In the nine years that the chancellor’s office has had a systemwide officer, three people have fulfilled the position and viewed their responsibilities differently. Some chose to exercise oversight of Title IX on individual campuses, while others viewed their role as more consultative.
Some campuses choose to work with and seek assistance from the…
Read the full article here
