
Four years ago, in the wake of an explosive investigative report by USA Today, LSU promised to make improvements to its Title IX office.
However, a new report by the Louisiana Illuminator says there’s been little to no progress.
In November of 2020, USA Today published a report on LSU mishandling sexual misconduct allegations against students, including top student athletes.
It’s a report that effectively ended the career of former LSU head football coach Les Miles, who was coaching Kansas at the time and was fired when the report was published.
Piper Hutchinson is conducting the investigation into LSU’s Title IX office for the Louisiana Illuminator in conjunction with Tiger Rag Magazine, co-owned with Louisiana Radio Network.
“Employees in the office alleging that there’s this hostile work environment that’s causing a slowdown in investigating Title IX complaints,” says Hutchinson. “There are a lot of unfilled positions in the office. There are employees alleging a lack of training in investigating Title IX. There’s a lot of alleged dysfunction in the office right now.”
Hutchinson notes that universities in general, not just LSU, receive a fair number of Title IX complaints.
Among the complaints at LSU is one in which a professor who allegedly covered up sexual assault allegations against a graduate assistant.
“I think that there is some concern that the lack of training and an insufficient number of Title IX investigators (are) leaving vulnerable people open to these abuses,” Hutchinson says.
Hutchinson says among the Title IX complaints at LSU is one that involves the Title IX office itself.
“Employees within the division filed a Title IX complaint nearly two years ago, and they said it was never followed up on,” says Hutchinson. “And they have since filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.”
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