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Syracuse University has updated its Title IX policies that will allow for cross-examination of sexual assault survivors and witnesses, an SU official said Tuesday. 

SU made the changes to comply with regulations the Department of Education published in May. The university opposed the regulations because “some of these mandated changes may discourage survivors of sexual assault or sexual harassment from coming forward,” said Sheila Johnson-Willis, chief equal opportunity and Title IX officer, in an SU News release Tuesday. 

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects people from discrimination based on sex within education programs that receive federal funding. 

The updated policies will mandate that sexual harassment complaints be heard in a live hearing where both parties can have an advisor cross-examine the other, Johnson-Willis said. The university will provide an adviser free of charge to parties without one, she said. 

SU also won’t be allowed to consider prior statements made by parties or witnesses who refuse to participate in a hearing and be cross-examined, Johnson-Willis said. The university must also offer an opportunity for students to appeal the outcome of a case on specific grounds, she said. 

The university’s Title IX team in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services will investigate all formal complaints of sexual harassment, Johnson-Willis said. 

The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will handle sanctioning for students who violate SU’s sexual harassment policies. SU’s human resources business partner will handle staff violations and the University Senate’s Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics Committee will handle faculty violations. 

Advocates for sexual assault victims have expressed concern that the changes will reduce the number of students who report misconduct. In a 2018 survey of Syracuse University’s campus climate, 95.3% of respondents said they did not report incidents of non-consensual or unwanted sexual contact.

Published on August 18, 2020 at 5:29 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3