USC Announces Changes to Sexual Assault Protocol
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A sit-in by USC's Student Coalition Against Rape in April 2012. (Paresh Dave/Neon Tommy)
Among those initiatives, the university hired a sexual assault investigator and implemented new training programs for Resident Assistants and the Department of Public Safety.
ALSO SEE: Sexual Assault Investigation At USC Continues
"Meetings have been held since October 2013 to evaluate existing procedures, clarify policies, and propose new initiatives," Dr. Ainsley Carry, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, wrote to students in a statement Tuesday morning. "Student safety is our highest priority, and USC wants all members of our community to have an environment free from sexual assault and misconduct."
These changes come during an on-going investigation by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which has been looking into whether USC's sexual assault policies violated Title IX since last July.
Alexa Schwartz, a student who filed a sexual assault complaint at USC, said she is glad she did because it led to students at other schools doing the same.
"I would like survivors to feel comfortable coming forward and hearing that the process is not isolating," she said.
Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of the investigation into USC's sexual assault policies.
