“These University leaders have known about sexual predators on the football team for years and never took actions to protect students”, said Jasmin Hernandez in a statement. The initiative includes adding another investigator to the school’s Title IX office, improving case management systems and boosting services at the school’s counseling center.
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Craig Smoak with ESPN 1660 in Waco first reported the news. The review found administrators mishandled cases and in one instance retaliated against a victim reporting an assault.
The findings, and the university’s reaction to them, “have sent a powerful message to survivors of sexual violence, and to all women on Baylor’s campus, that they are believed, their stories are heard, they were wronged not only by their rapists, but also by their university”, Natalie R. Webb, a doctoral student in religion, wrote in an email. After Ukwuachu was convicted previous year, Starr sent out a press release that, while lamenting the woman’s suffering, declared that “By God’s grace, we are living in a golden era at Baylor University”.
February 7: President and Chancellor Ken Starr issues a statement saying, “Our hearts break for those whose lives are impacted by execrable acts of sexual violence”. “With these new actions, I already have less anxiety about starting school again in the fall, knowing that FINALLY our voice was heard, and sexual assault was not something to be taken lightly”.
At a school like Baylor, that pride’s itself on becoming gridiron greats in their conference, the success of the program – and their players seems to be more important than their student’s safety, that’s according to one former student who is suing the school and it’s head football coach Art Briles.
May 18: “Outside The Lines” reports that an examination of Waco police records over a five-year period found more allegations of violent incidents involving Baylor football players who were not charged, appeared to face little or no discipline from the team even though coaches and administrators knew about the allegations, and that some documents were shielded from public view.
She says she’s concerned most with the propagation of rape culture at the Waco, Texas, school.
Hernandez, of Yorba Linda, California, says she is pressing on with her federal lawsuit against the school. Hernandez said she was raped by a Baylor football player in 2012.
“I’m glad that the regents have chosen the path of transparency and accountability”, Ms. Seay, an assistant professor of government at Colby College, wrote in an email.
It must be known, however, that I was not privy to any of the allegations regarding interpersonal violence until the Fall of 2015, at which time I immediately launched an internal investigation before recommending to the Board an independent external investigation, which the Board then commissioned with Pepper Hamilton.
“We were horrified by the extent of these acts of sexual violence on our campus”, Baylor regents chairman Richard Willis said.
Baylor University is in the process of firing football coach Art Briles, who was suspended until his contract is officially terminated amidst detailed and damning findings that reveal the program turned a cold shoulder to alleged victims of sexual assault and violence. Starr will leave the position of president on May 31, but the school says he will serve as chancellor.
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The report also found that Baylor was too slow to enact federally-required student conduct processes, and that administrators failed to identify and eliminate a “potential hostile environment” for victims. “Whats been going on with our university?” said Mahler.
