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interviews

I wanted to talk with these informed and compassionate people in order to gain a better understanding of the realities of sexual misconduct on colleges today within the state of Indiana. It was important to me to engage with both Christian and secular colleges to provide a balanced look into the similarities and differences with how we engage with the topic of sex and consent. Each person that I talked to was eager to share the information they had and the steps that they took to protect their students and to care for victims of sexual abuse and misconduct. They were passionate about raising awareness about the reality of sexual misconduct and saw this play as a valuable way to engage in conversations on campus.

Thank you,

Jesse Brown: Taylor University

Carrie Yocum: Grace Christian University

Neil Rush: Indiana Wesleyan University

Anna McGee: Ball State University

Katie Slabaugh: Ball State University

Juli Smith: DePauw University

Taylor University

Interview with Jesse Brown: Taylor University’s Title Nine Coordinator and Dean of Students since Fall 2017

What is Title Nine?

  1. Title Nine was established at most universities in 1972 and was focused on regulating school funding of male and female sports in order to push back on women’s sports being underfunded.

  2. During the Obama administration, Vice President Joe Biden sought to provide federal legislation to combat the dismissive practice of college administrations towards women seeking help after reporting sexual assault or harassment.

  3. Between 2011-2014 the Title Nine process required colleges to take certain steps to protect complainants.

  4. Before then, it was in the university’s hands to handle reports of sexual assault and harassment on their campuses.

    1. Often colleges would push the idea that someone deserves the treatment they got because of how they dressed or how much they drank.

      1. What were you wearing?

      2. Why were you drunk?

      3. Why didn’t you fight them off?

  5. The Title Nine process is focused on consent.

  6. Title Nine is a federal process not a legal process.

  7. There is a confidentiality agreement between all involved. In order to breach this confidentiality, the party must sign away their FERPA right.

    1. The information stays within the Title Nine office at Taylor and cannot be disclosed.

    2. No press reports are released.

    3. The information will not go to a grad school or be attached to a job application.

      1. However, if a school or job asks for a conduct report, information can be disclosed with all involved consenting to it.

    4. People can be expelled or suspended but this does not stop them from getting into other schools unless the school requires the conduct report from Taylor.

Statistic Information

  1. Roughly 22-24 formal investigations

  2. A range of 60-75 reports resolved “informally”

    1. These reports range in severity.

  3. The majority of these reports include a female complainant and a male respondent.

  4. This data only includes events reported.

    1. Brown believes that there are an indefinite amount of cases that go unreported

      1. Factors that hold people back include:

        1. Situations involving alcohol that students fear would get them in trouble.

        2. Fear that things that the compliant has consented to would bring them shame or judgment.

        3. Dismissive people

        4. Internal dismissiveness

Paths of Communication

  1. The Title Nine Coordinator and Dean of Students: Jesse Brown

    1. All reports are brought ultimately to Jesse Brown by:

      1. Students themselves

      2. Friends/Witnesses

      3. Residence Life leaders

      4. The campus counseling center.

      5. Campus police

      6. Etc…

    2. If the report comes from someone other than the students affected, Jesse Brown will reach out to them over email and plan a meeting.

      1. If they do not respond, he will send another email and will continue reaching out until it is clear that the student does not want to meet.

  2. If a report includes a recent assault, the process of getting in contact with the complainant will be expedited for their safety

Three Paths of Title Nine

  1. A complainant brings their experience to Jesse Brown and they talk it out.

    1. This is not a way to figure out what happened or “solve the case”

    2. Complainants have the opportunity to release some of the pressure of holding it all in and can often find a sense of relief.

    3. They are offered resources for counseling and further action steps that are accessible to the student. Either on-campus or in the local area.

  2. Informal Resolution

    1. Jesse Brown serves as the coordinator between complainant and respondent.

      1. Again, they are not seeking to find a consensus on what actually happened.

    2. They find a plan of behavior that can offer security and greater peace of mind to the complainant.

      1. For example, a No Contact order can allow the complainant to know that they will not be approached by the respondent. This can be as narrow or specific as needed.

  3. Formal Investigation

    1. Interviews will be had with the complainant, the respondent, and any pertinent witnesses in order to determine if sexual assault has happened as the complainant reports.

    2. A conclusion is made.

    3. Sanctions are set in place.

Title Nine and the Life Together Covenant

Title Nine is focused on consent. If consent is given freely, then the investigation ends there. Title Nine is not a system that will press judgment on consensual sexual acts. However, the LTC is a higher call than consent. Consent is the bare minimum and after that comes the love and service that we at Taylor are called to give to each other. Not only is healthy intimacy consensual, it can also be edifying and loving. At Taylor, we are called to love and serve each other through all of our relationships.

Though Taylor is not an entirely dry campus, alcohol is far less prevalent here than at schools without the ideal of a dry campus set in place. Because of the strong associations between drunkenness and assault, the lower reported numbers at Taylor fit this narrative. When investigating a case at Taylor, students are often asked if alcohol was involved. This is not to discredit the complainant or to excuse the respondent. It is useful for those investigating to understand the reality of the situation at hand. In this case, students would not be asked to do community service hours or face other repercussions for breaking the rules because amnesty applies. Students do not need to fear being disciplined for alcohol use when pursuing help through Title Nine.

​

Questions in Response to the Interview:

How can we do better at creating a community that strives for Biblical excellence and is characterized by grace instead of shame?

What does that community look like to you?

Grace Christian University

Interview with Carrie Yocum: Title IX Coordinator Grace Christian College

Background

Carrie Yocum worked as a professor in social work before transitioning into administration. She then began to work in Title IX. Often this position is highly temporary and there is a lot of shifting people in charge of the Title IX Office. Yocum has been working in the field for an abnormally long amount of time.

Covid-19 Impacts

Reports of high-risk incidents have been reduced to almost none in the year 2020.

Reporting Incidents

  • The highest amount of reporting cases takes place towards the beginning of the semester following the weeks of campus orientation.

  • This time is when expectations for sexual conduct are expressed most often and the ideals for community behavior are set.

  • The orientation focuses on the importance of respectful and edifying relationships on campus. This includes the discussion of how to honor others' boundaries.

  • Campus leaders, students, and staff are given formal training on how and when to report to Title IX.

  • The policy of amnesty allows freedom for people to report incidents without the fear of alcohol misconduct or other violations being put on their record.

    • The rules are not about legalism but the safety and wellbeing of students.

Awareness

  • Orientation is a place where students are directed towards places they can go if they need to report sexual misconduct.

  • The campus has programming addressing the idea of healthy sexuality.

    • Chapel

    • Guest Speakers

    • Counseling Center Group Sessions

Process of Reporting

  • These conversations do not often end in both parties feeling happy and satisfied with the outcome.

    • These reports are rooted in deep hurt that is not easy to process for the victims or the perpetrators.

    • Closure is not a guarantee. But the process of reporting can be a part of the healing process.

  • Retaliation is never allowed. People are allowed to speak but are asked to keep things close to protect the privacy of all involved.

  • On small campuses, things can get out.

  • Reports are most often made from within dating or friend relationships.

  • People often do not report what happened to them at all and if they do it can be months if not years after the event took place.

    • Reasons people do not report include statements such as:

      • I can do this alone

      • No one will believe me

      • I’ll get in trouble

      • I am not ready to talk about it

Investigations

  • When posing a formal report, the Title IX office will begin an investigation to determine whether the events reported happened and how to move forward.

  • Decisions made in the Title IX office are often based on very little physical evidence which makes these determinations of the reality of what happened difficult.

  • Witnesses are brought in to offer and information they might know.

  • Officers want to believe that the reports people are making are true but there are legal considerations that need to be made in order to come to a conclusion.

Impact on a Respondent

  • If a formal case is in process and the respondent is found guilty of the misconduct reported, that information will go on the conduct record of the student.

    • This record will often be requested by post-secondary education offices, certain jobs, police academies, etc…

  • Consequences are ranged based on the extent of the conduct violation

    • Community service-expulsion

Supportive Measures

  • Reporting students are directed towards further aid such as medical, counseling, academic needs, etc…

  • Different measures can be put in place to protect the student such as escorts, new class schedules, or no-contact orders.

  • A police station is always an option for reporting.

Indiana Wesleyan University

Interview with Neil Rush: Title IX Coordinator Indiana Wesleyan University

Background

Neil Rush began his training in human resources and had a background in investigating misconduct before moving into the Title IX office at IWU. Sexual misconduct began to be a part of the role of Title IX during the Obama administration under the influence of Vice President Joe Biden. Though this work at Title IX is weighty and difficult, Rush speaks to the calling to come alongside people in the worst of times. There is a need for people who have been victims of gender-based harassment and violence to be met with support and a system that can protect the complainant and address the need for change within the respondent.  Men women and members of the LGBTQ+ community are all welcome to report to the Title IX offices and receive fair treatment.

Christian Culture and Sex

  • Stigma surrounding sexual activity, alcohol, and drugs can hold people back from reporting misconduct.

  • IWU has a policy of amnesty that protects students from facing any punishments for breaking campus rules of conduct in situations of sexual misconduct.

  • We need to move away from shaming students for the circumstances of their mistreatment

  • There is an internal conflict between consent and sexual purity.

    • How do you teach students to engage in consensual sexual behavior while also teaching that sex is created for marriage?

  • Student services create programming that addresses sexuality and seeks to start conversations about sexual assault

    • IWU planned on hosting an art exhibition titled “What were you wearing” with different outfits that people were wearing when assaulted to push back on the idea that people who are assaulted deserve it.

  • How can we talk about sex in an edifying way?

Victim Support

  • There are confidential and non-confidential places where students can report.

  • They are directed to the different places that can help them including;

    • Title IX Office

    • Counseling Center

    • Local Sexual Assault Survivor Centers

  • The counseling center will take a trauma-informed response to the complainant.

  • Formal investigations are always an option.

Investigations

  • There is never pressure for a reporter to pursue a formal investigation.

    • This choice is in the hands of the reporter.

    • The Title IX office will present the reporter with all of their options.

  • The more evidence available to the investigators, the easier it is to get to the truth of the incident.

  • Investigators must be neutral and unbiased so that their investigation results in fair treatment towards all.

    • This does not mean that empathy is turned off. It is better for both parties if the investigation is unbiased and just.

  • Both the complainant and the respondent are affected by the investigation and need support.

  • If the respondent is found guilty they will be at risk of losing scholarships or being rejected from jobs or schools that ask to see their conduct record.

  • Retaliation is prohibited in order to protect both sides of the investigation as well as any witnesses involved.

Bystander Intervention

  • In a party setting, be aware of those around you and keep an eye out for red flags

    • If someone is giving another person a lot to drink

    • If someone is being physically isolated from others

    • Etc…

  • Intervention can look like directing someone’s attention away from another person or physically walking with the person being targeted out of the room.

  • This intervention protects all people.

  • Do not be scared of being a killjoy.

Ball State University

Interview with Anna Mcgee: Ball State Victim Advocate

What is a Victim Advocate?

A Victim Advocate is a person who students can confide in and receive support from that is not obligated to be objective or nonbiased. This person will be empathetic, caring, and helpful in providing the victim with all the options that they have to move forward and do not pressure victims to report to Title IX or any other office. All of their attention is focused on the victim and what they need. All people who face gender-based violence can reach out to the Victim Advocate.

            If the victim wants to move forward, either with the police or the Title IX offices, the Victim Advocate will come alongside them and make sure they are being taken care of and heard. They can step outside of the room with the victim at any time and provide an added layer of security and comfort.

Training

  • A Victim Advocate is not a therapist or a counselor but is someone who will listen well and advocate for the victim

  • Anna’s degree is in Human Resources and she spent some time working in a shelter for victims of sexual violence before her time at Ball State

  • She was taught to remind victims of key truths:

    • This is not your fault

    • You do not deserve to be treated this way

  • They are on call 24/7

  • Residence halls are trained to contact the Victim Advocate first and direct the victim towards this support system

Bystander Intervention: The most important tool

  • Anna has given many presentations at Ball State about the importance of Bystander Intervention and offered the student body tools to protect each other

  • The Bystander Effect

    • The more people around, the fewer people who will step in

  • Intervention before an act of sexual violence takes place is the best option for everyone involved even if its awkward and intimidating

  • How can you help others?

  • Make sure that you are safe before you step into a situation

  • There are indirect paths of intervention that can prevent sexual violence

    • Moving with someone away from the threat

    • Redirecting someone’s attention

    • Keeping a close eye on suspicious people

    • Being warry of people who try to force alcohol on others

Title IX and Victim Advocates

  • These offices are deeply connected

  • There is constant communication between them

  • Law enforcement is also in communication with both of these offices

    • In the past, reports of rape would be treated like investigations and would take place in interrogation rooms.

    • There has been a shift towards soft interview rooms including things like couches and carpets to foster more openness and to protect victims

    • Victim Advocates can join victims if they pursue action through the police system

  • Because of shifting Title IX policies rooted in the new government administrations, things that would have fallen under Title IX no longer do

    • This can lead to a lot of hurt when people feel that the system doesn’t offer the justice they want

    • Victim Advocates will always be there to support victims whether they fall under Title IX or not.

Trends in Sexual Violence on College Campuses

  • The Red Zone: the first eight weeks of classes

    • Over 60% of reports of sexual violence happen during these few weeks

    • New freshmen are out of their homes for the first time and this liberation leads to a lot of people being taken advantage of.

    • The warm climate allows for more going out with others

  • The Red Zone is addressed in front of the whole student body and resources for reporting are offered upon students first few days on campus

  • Another peak of reports is following spring break

​

Even though there are patterns in sexual violence, it is important to affirm that alcohol and parties do not rape people. People make the choice to sexually abuse others and it is not a product of their environment or lessened because of the alcohol in their bodies. Putting all of our attention on the factors that are associated with high levels of sexual violence inadvertently places the blame on the victims for choosing to drink and go to parties or to wear short skirts. This language is powerful and dangerous. An overreliance on statistics and patterns lessens the painful reality that people seriously take advantage of other people because they choose to.

​

Interview with Katie Slabaugh: Ball State Title IX Coordinator

Students are offered either confidential or nonconfidential paths to finding the help and support they need. Confidential people will hear the victim’s story and are not obligated to bring it to the police or the Title IX office. If the victim reports an event that is highly violent and they are unsafe, only then will these people contact Title IX or the police as needed. Nonconfidential paths still prioritize privacy and keep information on a need-to-know basis. However, they will communicate with each other and will bring in witnesses as needed when pursuing a formal investigation.

Confidential Paths

  • The Victim Advocate found in the Women’s Center

  • Counseling Center

  • Health Center

Nonconfidential Path

  • Police

  • Title IX

  • Academic Leaders

  • Student Leaders (RAs)

There are professional and collaborative partnerships between all the offices involved in reports of gender-based discrimination.

There is a difference between privacy and confidentiality.

All students have a right to privacy under the FERPA.

​

When Victims Report

  • It is essential to first listen and ask good questions

  • The root is to ask “How can I help you in any way?”

    • Only after first listening and offering support the Title IX coordinator will direct students to any resources they might want to engage with

  • RA’s and other student leaders are trained to stop asking why questions

    • These questions diminish the reality of sexual abuse and push the blame onto the victims.

    • These questions push victims to defend their choices instead of siding with the victims and asserting that no one deserves to be sexually abused.

  • All who hear a report of sexual violence need to learn to listen without saying anything

    • They do not have the luxury of all the information and it is not their place to determine the truth of what happened

  • All students must have access to the campus resources

Need for Unbiased Title IX

  • A well-trained Title IX officer will be just and impartial.

  • This objective outside view allows for a deeper trust in the system and protects both sides.

    • The position of Victim Advocate is important because it allows victims to have the emotional support they need outside of the objective process of Title IX or a police investigation.

  • Sexual violence was included under the Title IX office of gender-based discrimination in spring of 2011 under the Obama administration

  • Slabaugh has been working with Title IX since the fall of 2012

Consequences for Respondents

  • If someone is found guilty of sexual misconduct under Title IX they will face a range of consequences depending on the nature of the charge.

  • Consequences include:

    • Probation

    • Suspension

    • Expulsion

      • This can be for a few years or permanent

    • Medical evaluation

    • Community Service

    • Writing a paper

  • Long term consequences include

    • Rejection from law schools

    • Rejection from police academies

    • Credentialed degree programs will often ask for conduct reports from the university

    • Undergraduate programs will also look into expulsions and suspensions

Bystander Intervention

  • The single most important thing to talk about!

  • Pay attention to things like disrespectful/offensive language between people and call it out

    • Create a zero-tolerance environment for verbal harassment

    • Jokes and calloused derogatory language can lead to a culture where people think they can treat others as objects

  • Watch for people who try to get others drunk

  • Watch for manipulation, isolating of individuals, and grooming

    • If you see this behavior, say something or direct the person being harassed out of that situation

  • Bystanders who step in and speak up are the unsung heroes of college campuses

  • It can be really scary to step in and help

    • Find a friend to join you

    • Make sure you are safe

    • Know the campus resources and help direct people to things they might need

    • Make sure they know that a hearing or a formal report is not required at all

  • Ask questions like “would you like to talk to someone?”

  • Upperclassmen have the responsibility to direct underclassmen to the resources they have available

  • The entire Ball State campus is covered with information about sexual violence

  • The campus has an app that walks students through what sexual assault is and what options they have if they have been assaulted

  • Prevention of assault can happen through clear communication about consent and when to stop.

  • ​

The more conversations being had, the better-informed people are about the importance of consent and the paths available for victims. Above all make sure that the victim knows that what happened to them is not their fault.

​

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DePauw University

Juli Smith Interview: Title IX Coordinator DePauw University

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The Title IX office is focused on fostering privacy, equity, and respect

Juli began working at DePauw in the Title IX offices five years ago as an assistant. She was a part of the dual-investigation model. She has a law background and a high level of training in Title IX as well as experience as an investigator for the national league of relations. ATIXA is the Association of Title IX Administrators where Juli received her training. This training teaches both the legal practices and how to best offer supportive measures for survivors and respondents. Title IX has shifted to include assault and harassment as gender-based discrimination. All offices value the privacy of the victim and respondent and will only release information on a need to know basis

 

Sexual Assault Survivors Advocate: SASA

  • A hotline system that allows for anonymous reporting

  • They will not ask for any names but will provide options for resources and any aid that the victim might need

  • They work in close connection with the Title IX office and campus police if the victim chooses to pursue a formal investigation

  • The SASA is a part of the women’s center on campus and has several full-time advocates

  • This program is well established and respected in the campus.

  • Being in the Women’s center makes it accessible to the student body.

  • Every advocate is also involved in student life in other areas which allow for closer relationships and comfortability between students and advocates

  • Their job is primarily about listening and supporting

Paths for Victims

  • The SASA is a resource that is for victims.

    •  It is confidential and biased towards the victims.

    •  SASA advocates will never push a victim towards any particular path but will offer them all the information they need.

    • Friends or witnesses will often report to the SASA if they see something concerning and the advocates will do a “soft outreach” to the person to offer them any support they might need.

  • The Title IX office is available if students want to make formal investigations or take other measures to protect themselves

    • Title IX can help students rearrange their classes or get time to make up assignments

    • They can work with housing to find a better place for the students if they need  a new living situation

    • They can offer no-contact orders or similar protective measures like escorts

  • Alternative Option: This is the middle ground

    • This alternative option is an informal process without sanctions

      • The vast majority of victims choose this option

    • It is social justice-oriented and has been at DePauw for four years

      • It continues to be adapted and developed

    • It includes

      • Mediated discussions

      • Educational programming for the respondent

        • This would involve a student programming person going through a course on consent and how to treat others with respect.

        • It is an unlearning of the things that lead to sexual assault and misconduct

    • This option is always instigated by the survivor

    • The respondent is not forced to accept this option but will then be opening themselves up to a formal investigation which they will usually avoid

    • The alternative option is run tangentially to Title IX

  • No path forward is going to look the same

  • There is always room to change directions if the victim is unsatisfied with the way their path is progressing

Investigations

  • If a victim wants to issue a formal report, there will be an investigation to determine the truth of the situation

  • There will always be two investigators trained through ATIXA

  • Evidence is weighed against Title IX policy

    • This does not diminish the victim’s experiences internally but is focused on the external signs of what happened.

  • These are complex and difficult investigations

  • The Alternative option is often chosen because it is not about proving something did or didn’t happen but is focused on a change in behavior and finding protection for the victim.

  • The outcome of a Title IX investigation is not guaranteed to be in favor of the victim but support for the victim is guaranteed.

Key Takeaways

  • Sexual violence is rooted in a power unbalance connected to gender dynamics.

  • The survivors have had their control and autonomy taken away so the decision-making in the aftermath must be in their hands.

  • A friend/witness reporting an event must focus on supporting the victim and whatever they need instead of reporting for a result

  • Prevention and education on consent and healthy sexual relationships are key to providing healing for the school and keeping the student body safe.

    • DePauw has significant prevention programming under their women’s center.  

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