Statement from University of Nebraska-Lincoln regarding Title IX complaint

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln issued the following statement upon receiving notice of a Title IX complaint regarding a reported off-campus sexual assault:

“On Monday, Oct. 6, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln received a letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights informing us of a Title IX complaint. The OCR does not name the complainant in its letter; however, they obtained the complainant’s permission to reveal the complainant’s identity to the university so that it may have a fair opportunity to respond.

“In the matter that has resulted in this complaint, UNL took timely and appropriate action. Our Title IX coordinator began investigating within two days of receiving notice of the incident. The coordinator met with and took a statement from the alleged victim, who was also provided information about available options, including working with police. The university provided information to the alleged victim about rights under Title IX, about the university’s investigative procedures and about available services on campus and in the community.

“The university immediately barred the alleged offender from campus and instructed the individual to refrain from further contact with students. All parties in the matter were contacted and interviewed as quickly as possible given their schedules. The Title IX coordinator regularly informed the parties of the investigation’s status. When it was completed, the coordinator found that the greater weight of the evidence showed the alleged offender had engaged in sexual misconduct in violation of university policy and recommended what further steps should be taken. All parties were notified of the investigation’s outcome. The alleged offender is no longer at the university.

“The safety of students was never compromised at any time during this investigation. The safety of the alleged victim, of students and other members of the university community was of the highest priority throughout the entire process.”