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Hillsdale College: 'Serious mischaracterizations' in sex assault lawsuit [detroitnews.com]:

MICHIGANHillsdale College says sexual assault lawsuit has 'serious mischaracterizations' Kim Kozlowski [soylentnews.org]The Detroit News

Hillsdale College pushed backed on a lawsuit alleging the school fails students who report sexual assault by calling the claims "serious mischaracterizations" and outlined how the college responds to reports in investigations that protect the "rights and reputation of both the accused and the alleged victim."

"The accusations made in the suit are serious mischaracterizations of Hillsdale College’scampus culture and sexual assault policies and procedures which have been developed with the utmost concern for the protection of our students," says a statement issued late Wednesday in response to a federal lawsuit filed against the private, conservative college in Hillsdale, Mich.

"Hillsdale College takes the safety of its students very seriously and strives to educate students about sexual assault, answer frequently asked questions about sexual assault, and detail the procedures for contacting appropriate persons at the college, Hillsdale Hospital, and Hillsdale City Police."

"Hillsdale also, however, understands the importance of maintaining the rights of theaccused as the process of investigation and remediation is carried out."

A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that Hillsdale College fails to have or enforce proper policies that prevent sexual assault and responds with "sham investigations," "arbitrary decisions," retaliation and victim-blaming. This has lead to students facing "an unusually high risk of sexual assault," according to two students who filed the suit.

Grace Chen and Danielle Villarreal, a current and former student, respectively, filed the suit as individuals and also on behalf of other students who have faced a similar experience at Hillsdale College like they did when reporting sexual assault. Chen and Villarreal said they want to highlight problems in the college's response to sexual misconduct in hopes of "meaningful change" in the future, according to the lawsuit that is seeking class-action certification.

Hillsdale College is a private, conservative liberal arts school about 70 miles southwest of Ann Arbor that is best known for not taking any state or federal government funding to finance its operations. That means the school is not bound by Title IX, a federal law which prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funds with requirements of how to address complaints or face federal investigations and penalties.

Hillsdale College officials say the school has established procedures for dealing with allegations of misconduct and are provided to all students, according to the statement.

"Over the past decade, Hillsdale College has worked with expert third parties to ensure its policies and procedures regarding investigations of sexual assault are exceptional with respect to ascertaining the true nature of the alleged incident while also protecting the rights and reputation of both the accused and the alleged victim," the statement says.

"When allegations of sexual misconduct are made, Hillsdale promptly and thoroughly investigates the accusations, through independent counsel, as was done with the allegations of Ms. Chen and Ms. Villarreal," the statement continues. "Hillsdale also offers assistance to the alleged victim and implements necessary interim measures, whether supportive or protective."

If the independent counsel finds a student responsible for violating any of the Regulations of Proper Student Conduct or the Honor Code, the college's deans are authorized to impose disciplinary measures that are are outlined in the Procedure for Student Discipline, the statement says.

"The deans are further authorized to take any other necessary action to stop the conduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects while protecting the Hillsdale College community," the statement says.

Hillsdale's policies need to change, said Annika Martin, a New York-based lawyer representing the Hillsdale students who also represented men who were sexually abused as students by the late University of Michigan doctor Robert Anderson.

“Hillsdale policies and response to our clients' complaints are woefully inadequate, and show they care more about their reputation than the safety of its students," Martin said in a statement. "We look forward to driving positive change at Hillsdale to ensure it lives up to its values, protects future students, and is held accountable for failing Grace and Danielle."

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com

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