OCR INVESTIGATES John Doe’s Complaint Against Williams College
The Department of Education’s OCR is investigating Williams College in response to a complaint filed on Jan. 28, 2018, that alleges that the College discriminated against a male respondent in a sexual misconduct discipline case by treating him more harshly than a female respondent against whom he had also cross-filed a complaint. The complaint claims that the College has exhibited a pattern of anti-male discrimination in sexual misconduct discipline, referencing the College being sued in federal court. Doe writes that he was, “continually and systematically denied his civil rights in a joint-sexual assault case that Williams brought forth under the auspices of a Title IX investigation.”
The complaint also goes on to allege that administrators in the College’s Title IX discipline process had conflicts of interest that unfairly prejudiced Doe, and that Doe was often not granted accommodations that he requested, such as extra time to prepare for a disciplinary hearing.
Finally, the complaint alleges that the College’s Title IX hearing procedures are unfair. Many of these procedures may be affected by forthcoming Department of Education regulations on Title IX that Secretary Betsy Devos is expected to release soon. For example, Doe cites the lack of cross-examination and a live hearing as impediments to a fair process.
williamsrecord– Nicholas Goldrosen
