COLUMBUS – Ohio State says it’s shutting down its three-year-old Sexual Civility and Empowerment unit after finding it didn’t properly document and report students’ sexual assault complaints.
The Columbus Dispatch reports some victims were told they were lying or fabricating their stories. Records show some SCE workers also subjected victims to re-traumatizing treatment.
The university said Tuesday it is eliminating four positions within the unit and terminating those employees.
The school also says it’s asking experts from a law firm to develop a new program for supporting sexual assault victims and to review how Ohio State responds to reports of sexual and gender-based harassment and violence.
“Ohio State will do all that we can to be a national leader in preventing and responding to sexual misconduct. Our campuses must be safe places for all members of our community to learn, work and grow,” President Michael Drake said.
“We remain steadfastly and unwaveringly committed to this goal,” he said.
The university has turned to experts from the Philadelphia-based law firm Cozen O’Connor to develop a new student-support program before the beginning of the fall semester while also assessing compliance and recommending improvements to the university’s policies for battling sexual- and gender-based harassment and violence.
Established in 2015 amid a campaign to combat sexual harassment and violence on campus, the Sexual Civility and Empowerment was suspended in February in the face of reports that it was not properly supporting victims and was mismanaged.
An external review underway at that time reported on May 28 that SCE had “failed to comply adequately with policy requirements” in a range of incidents, some off campus or in other cities, others occurring before the victim was enrolled at OSU, university spokesman Chris Davey said.
Other incidents were not reported to police or to the university in a timely fashion, according to the review.
Ohio State policy requires all employees to report incidents of sexual assault and state and federal laws mandate reporting of specific crimes on or near university campuses, including sexual assault, Davey said.
University officials say they will reach out to students who contacted SCE to see if they have received necessary support services.
The university’s system for providing student support and services includes the Counseling and Consultation Service, which offers mental health services and trauma response, the Student Advocacy Center, the Student Wellness Center, Student Health Services and the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio.