From Congress to Hollywood, sexual assault scandals are hitting the headlines in a pervasive wave of call-outs and push-backs against rape culture. At universities, rape culture is magnified in fraternity and sorority life — numerous academic studies and statistics trace campus rape culture’s influence back to the party culture of fraternities.

But the possible beginnings of a cultural shift within Greek culture are emerging at the University of Oregon. Leaders in the Greek community are emphasizing accountability and transparency, mirroring the conversations around sexual assault happening at the national level.

Joey Alongi, a member of PIKE, is pushing for a “Transparency Policy” among fraternities at UO. Phillip Quinn/Emerald

Joey Alongi, a sophomore political science major and member of Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE), is pushing for increased cooperation and communication between fraternities in order to prevent sexual violence. During fall term, Alongi proposed a rule he calls the “Transparency Policy” to  UO’s Director of Prevention Services, Kerry Frazee.

The policy is simple, according to Alongi: if a pledge or initiated member of a fraternity is expelled from a chapter for sexual misconduct, his name would be placed on a list which would then be distributed to presidents of other chapters. The objective of the policy is to make sure that perpetrators of sexual misconduct are identified early and do not have the chance to rush another fraternity.

Frazee estimates that 3,250 students currently enrolled at UO have experienced sexual assault, using statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center that says one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

The true number of sexual assaults can be difficult to track because the vast majority of them go unreported. A 2014 Department of Justice Study found that only 20 percent of female college students report instances of sexual assault. UO’s 2016 Annual Title IX report shows 97 incidents of sexual assault and rape, 120 incidents of sexual harassment and 66 incidents of dating or domestic violence. Data provided from the 2017 UOPD clery crime log reported that there were 36 instances of fondling and rape over the course of the year, 20 of which were received from Title IX.

UOPD spokesman Kelly McIver wrote via email that sexual assaults that occur within the Greek community can be difficult to track.

“We do track Clery crimes reported for chapter houses of UO-affiliated fraternities and sororities,” McIver wrote. “Incidents that may occur at privately owned residences [live-outs] that are in some way connected to fraternity or sorority people or functions would not be tracked, or even known.”

Alongi said his determination to create such a policy came after he witnessed a pledge at PIKE grope another fraternity brother’s girlfriend. The pledge, who was later kicked out of PIKE, was expelled from another fraternity before pledging at PIKE. Alongi said he doesn’t know what the pledge was initially expelled for, but speculates sexual misconduct may have played a role after witnessing the pledge’s behavior.

“His story was that he didn’t mesh well with the guys at the other fraternity,” Alongi said.

Alongi said that if nothing was done, similar incidents will continue to happen.

“I thought to myself, ‘There’s nothing stopping this guy from going to another fraternity and doing the same thing as he did at ours.’”

Alongi, a former sexual violence prevention representative for PIKE, says that sometimes education is simply not enough to stop predatory behavior among some fraternity members.

“Predators are presented with facts and education like the definition of consent and disassociate themselves from that information,” he said. “They lack understanding through a mix of denial and misunderstanding. Essentially, it’s a lack of empathy.”

Due to the private nature of fraternities, their expulsion processes are often kept secret. Only one fraternity on campus, Delta Upsilon, has a non-secretive process that is stated in their bylaws. Given the secrecy of the expulsion, a member can say that he chose to leave the chapter for a reason like not fitting in with others despite being kicked out for sexual assault or misconduct.

High profile expulsions — like those for sexual assault — aren’t always common knowledge to other members of the Greek community.

Alongi’s example is not an isolated incident.

Dominic Black, Delta Upsilon’s former president, said that an individual kicked out of another fraternity for sexual assault tried to join his chapter.

“We’ve had a couple people who have rushed who were kicked out of other fraternities and one of them was for a sexual assault allegation,” he said. “Luckily, Sam Michaan, the president of Theta Chi at the time, reached out to me and let me know.”

Black said that even with Michaan informing him, he believes that having a policy advocating for transparency between presidents is beneficial to the community as a whole.

“I think that is a wonderful idea; it would better our community,” he said. “There’s people who would sneak through the cracks. Having that information come from the presidents could be super beneficial to improve fraternity and sorority life as a whole.”

Even with some members of the Greek community supporting Alongi’s policy, administrators said the policy violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which establishes and protects students’ privacy rights.

Over the course of writing this story, the Emerald contacted Frazee five times requesting a comment explaining the administration’s stance. Frazee’s only response contained links to UO’s student records privacy policy as well as other links related to Title IX processes and investigations. Frazee recommended that the Emerald contact Fraternity and Sorority Life Director Caitlin Roberts for a “more accurate response about overall fraternity and sorority life accountability.” When the Emerald contacted Roberts’ front desk requesting a comment, Roberts’ office referred the Emerald to UO spokesman Tobin Klinger.

Klinger described the inability to translate proposed policy into practice as a “straightforward FERPA issue” and that the personal information the policy requires could not be shared with fraternity presidents due to the fact that it lacks “a clear academic reason.”

Klinger defines “clear academic reason” as anything “reason to know something based on your direct role in their academic process.”

While Alongi and Black support the policy change, another member of the Greek community says that enforcing social consequences for fraternities that don’t participate in sexual violence prevention education is a step towards reducing sexual violence.

Paige Price is a sexual violence prevention representative from Pi Beta Phi. Phillip Quinn/Emerald

Paige Price, a sexual violence prevention representative from Pi Beta Phi, said that new social consequences for taking shortcuts on sexual violence prevention education will hopefully soon become community standards. Price and other representatives from the Greek community meet weekly with Frazee to discuss sexual violence prevention education.

In addition to existing monetary fines, Price said that fraternities will face social consequences for skipping the meetings. Starting this term, if a fraternity misses two or more meetings, the Panhellenic Council will cancel their social functions with the chapter for the rest of the term.

While Price plans on this practice becoming a community standard, it has been the norm for her sorority since last fall.  

“We have been waiting for a change like this in our community. Pi Beta Phi was already holding other fraternities accountable for their attendance at the SVP meetings,” she said. “We simply let their social chairs know that if they were missing meetings, we would be canceling our upcoming functions with them.”

Price is quick to acknowledge that fraternities have stepped up and taken issue of sexual violence prevention seriously, saying that she’s seen a positive shift in some chapters’ cultures. Ultimately, Price says that education is an obligation chapters have to their communities.

“If a chapter cares about members of their own community and those outside of it, they should be willing to participate in actions necessary to ensure everyone in those communities feel safe, and when it comes to social events, sexual violence prevention education is a huge part.”

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On Nov. 26, 2017, a man overdosing on meth pressed multiple University of Oregon’s “emergency call boxes” near LLC North. Help soon arrived and the man was transported to receive medical attention.

But for most, the call boxes’ bright multihued yellow posts, brick red button and bright blue light often go unnoticed when observing campus scenery.

The 80 call boxes, not including those in elevators, are scattered throughout campus and cost close to $14,400 a year to maintain. They saw far and few legitimate uses during 2017, according to data provided by the University of Oregon Police Department.

Oftentimes when officers arrived at the scene in response to receiving a call, no one was found to be in need of assistance. UOPD spokesperson Kelly McIver says that it’s difficult to understand the underlying cause of this trend.

“I’m not sure that there’s accuracy or value in describing the mystery activations as pranks, since we really don’t know,” McIver said.

Over the course of the year, emergency call boxes were activated 192 times; however officers responded to only nine incidents with individuals at the scene.

Here are the situations officers responded to that had individuals at the scene:

Nov. 26, 2017 at 12:43 a.m., Living Learning Center North, male subject experiencing methamphetamine overdose, pressing multiple ephones. Responded and medical transport

Oct. 11, 2017 at 12:07 a.m., North Side of Lewis Integrated Sciences, verbal dispute, ephone pushed by a party involved

Oct. 8, 2017 at 12:02 a.m., North Side of Lewis Integrated Sciences, medical assistance, 35 yo male request medics for a heart problem

Aug. 5, 2017 at 9:30 a.m., Student Rec Center Turf Field #2, medical assistance, referred caller to 9-1-1 because [UOPD] can’t transfer ephone calls

July 24, 2017: at 4:52 a.m., Carson Hall ephone 62, medical assistance, custodian was injured and walked to ephone to get help

June 16, 2017: at 2:24 a.m., area of 12/Kincaid, motor vehicle accident

April 16, 2017: at 1:26 a.m., Lot 53, person requests medical assistance

March 21, 2017: at 6:40 a.m., Cascade Hall NE Exterior, caller reported getting hit by a truck and a verbal dispute

Feb. 8, 2017: at 4:49 p.m., Millrace ephone, caller reporting a dispute with his girlfriend

McIver says that despite officers’ quick response time if they are close, the smaller, newer technology of cell phones is the primary factor behind the infrequent use of emergency phones.

“Response to a call box generally takes no more than a couple of minutes; less if an officer on patrol is close to the location,” McIver said. “Everyone has 911 at their fingertips. They don’t need to go to a call box and talk to a dispatcher. I think that the cell phone largely killed off the use of the call boxes.”

Despite their occasional use and high cost, UOPD Police Chief Matthew Carmichael says that there is no benefit in removing the call boxes.

“Some campuses across the country have chosen to remove emergency phones which I would caution is a serious mistake,” Carmichael said. “It has been my experience that emergency phones have played a vital role in getting emergency assistance to students who are in need of medical attention or to thwart potential crime. Balancing cost versus student safety, student safety wins.”

Editor’s note: The dispatch data was provided to The Emerald in an email from UOPD spokesperson Kelly McIver. It has been edited for clarity.

Follow Michael Tobin on Twitter: @Tobin_Tweets

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Update Jan. 14 at 2 p.m.: Brenda Tracy responded to The Emerald’s request for comment Sunday afternoon about the meeting. She said the meeting was “not as productive as I would have hoped.”

“They’re standing firm that they did nothing wrong. I left there feeling like this could happen again and probably will,” she said.

—

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden met with University of Oregon President Michael Schill to discuss the school’s handling of sexual violence and misconduct.

The meeting was prompted by November’s exchange of letters between the university and Wyden in which the senior senator and UO alumnus expressed concern over the university’s handling of the Kavell Bigby-Williams sexual assault investigation.

Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault prevention activist, was also at the meeting.

In a statement released on AroundtheO, President Schill called Friday’s meeting “a productive dialogue,” despite what he referred to as “tough questions.”

Despite Monday’s meeting, Schill said that much more work needs to be done to address the topic.

“I am proud of our achievements in this area but I am far from satisfied,” he wrote. “Our procedures and our programs can always get better. We look forward to working with Sen. Wyden, Ms. Tracy and others to do just that.”

It is unknown what the next steps in the dialogue between Schill, Wyden and Tracy are, or what actions will come from the meeting.

The Emerald reached out to Sen. Wyden’s office, Tracy and UO for comment but did not receive any immediate response.

The post [Updated] Schill, Tracy and U.S. Sen. Wyden meet to discuss UO’s sexual assault reporting policy appeared first on Emerald Media.

The Great Blue Heron statue on the corner of E. 13th Avenue and Alder Street, which sometimes features anti-Trump graffiti, was emblazoned with anti-immigrant chalk graffiti on Monday. The messages “Deport Them All” and “Trump 2020” remained on the statue until they were erased by a passerby around 11:30 a.m.

The author of the graffiti remains unknown.

This is not the first time graffiti of the same nature has appeared on campus. During the first week of fall term in 2017, students spotted a message reading “white pride” between Gerlinger Hall and Knight Library.

Even with the graffiti being in such a public space, senior music technology major Alex Niemeyer said it comes as no surprise.

“I’m not too shocked by seeing this,” he said. “For a while, I’ve been a part of a community group going around Eugene cleaning up all of this, not just chalk, but also the anti-refugee stickers I’ve been seeing all the time.”

Niemeyer and his group aren’t the only ones monitoring white nationalism in Eugene. In December 2017, The Oregonian/Oregonlive profiled white nationalist activity in Eugene, saying that the city recorded nearly 60 hate crimes that year, which is up from last year’s total of 44. According to The Oregonian/Oregonlive, vandalism and graffiti made up 20 percent of the hate crimes reported between January and October.

Niemeyer said he is surprised by the lack of substantive response from University of Oregon administration during previous incidents, such as when white nationalist Jimmy Marr visited campus last April.

“You really have to wonder, is it really that hard to say you’re against white supremacy, in 2018?”

In a draft of an AroundtheO post sent to the Emerald, UO President Michael Schill said he “condemns all forms of hate speech and racism,” and that he is “troubled by the recent reports of an uptick in both subtle and overt acts of racism on campus and in the surrounding community.”

Schill plans to work with community and campus law enforcement to ensure a safe learning environment for students.

“What we want everyone in our campus community to know is that regardless of these shameful instances, the UO welcomes and values all its members, and that Ducks will take care of one another.”

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South Eugene High School and Roosevelt Middle School were placed on temporary lockout Tuesday morning following reports of an armed subject in the area. The University of Oregon Alert System informed students of the activity via text and email.

Students weren’t the only ones to experience a disruption, commuters were rerouted between 24th and 19th avenue on Amazon Parkway.

According to John Hankemeier, Eugene Police’s public information officer, the subject was located near First Place Family Center and found in possession of an axe. After being taken into custody, the subject was taken to the hospital.

As of 11:31 a.m., the situation was resolved.

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In June, Emerald reporting revealed that Kavell Bigby-Williams, an Oregon basketball player on the 2016-17 Final Four team, had been under open police investigation for sexual assault for the entire basketball season.

Bigby-Williams had been accused of sexually assaulting a female at Gillette College in Wyoming, where he had played basketball before transferring to Oregon. The alleged incident occurred while Bigby-Williams was visiting his former school in September 2016.

Police in Gillette closed the case without filing charges in July, after the Emerald story broke.

A recent report in Sports Illustrated by former Emerald sports editor Kenny Jacoby called into question how the University of Oregon handled the situation and whether it followed its own protocols after learning of the investigation in Wyoming.

Following the Sports Illustrated story, U.S. senator Ron Wyden (D., OR) sent a letter to UO demanding answers for how it handled the case. UO president Michael Schill responded last week.

Below is a timeline of events and outline of major players involved in the story.

Kavell Bigby-Williams:  Forward on the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball 2016-17 Final Four team. Transferred from Gillette College in Wyoming, where he was investigated for sexual assault after visiting in September 2016, after he had transferred to Oregon.

Kathy Flynn: UOPD detective who was asked by Northern Wyoming Community College District police to conduct a follow-up interview on the incident with Bigby-Williams.

Officer Brooke Tibbetts: Campus police officer at Gillette College responsible for interviewing witnesses, alleged victim’s friends and roommates, and gathering evidence.

Greg Walker: UO’s athletic department spokesman.

Dana Altman: UO’s men’s basketball head coach.

Rob Mullens: UO’s athletic director.

Lisa Peterson: UO’s deputy athletic director and deputy Title IX coordinator.

Darci Heroy: UO’s Title IX coordinator.

The following is a timeline of events in the investigation.

September 17 – September 18, 2016: Bigby-Williams allegedly sexually assaults a woman between 10 p.m. on the 17th and 3 a.m. on the 18th. The alleged assault reportedly took place at an apartment near Gillette College, which is part of the Northern Wyoming Community College District where Bigby-Williams was a student before transferring to UO in the summer before the 2016-17 school year.

September 19, 2016: Northern Wyoming Community College District Police Department starts an investigation of the sexual assault following a police report filed by the victim’s friend. Tibbetts began to investigate Bigby-Williams for first-degree sexual assault. According to the police report provided by NWCCDPD, Tibbetts spoke with the alleged victim’s friends, who witnessed her throwing up.

According to the police report, Tibbetts took photos of bruises on the alleged victim’s neck and two dark stains on her sheets. Tibbetts took the alleged victim’s clothing and sheets as evidence.

September 28, 2016: Bigby-Williams is in Eugene for fall term after transferring from Gillette College to UO as a student athlete. NWCCDPD calls UOPD requesting UOPD to conduct a follow-up interview on the incident. UOPD detective Flynn reviews the police report, texts and photos provided by NWCCDPD.

According to UO, Peterson tells Mullens that UOPD is looking into the case but Peterson does not share specifics regarding the allegations. UO says that Heroy reached out to UOPD for more information but did not receive extensive details due to UOPD’s protocol of “not sharing detailed information from an outside agency’s investigation.” UO says that Heroy relied upon UOPD to provide her with further information if it became available.

According to Walker, Altman and Mullens knew that Bigby-Williams’ contact information was requested by Flynn, but they were unaware of the circumstances surrounding the request.

Flynn attempts to call Bigby-Williams to discuss the incident; however, he informs her he is busy and will call her the next day.

September 29, 2016: According to UOPD’s police report, Flynn calls Bigby-Williams again and leaves a message after he did not pick up. Half an hour after leaving Bigby-Williams a voicemail, Flynn says she receives a call from attorney Nick Carter, informing her to not speak with Bigby-Williams. Carter is also an assistant coach on the Gillette College basketball team.

Late September – early October 2016: Based on the information discussed by Heroy and UOPD, UO says there is not enough information to contradict the wishes of the survivor, who didn’t want to make a report.

Following this decision, Heroy does not discuss the investigation with Director of Student Conduct Sandy Weintraub. Under UO’s Standard Operating Procedures for Sexual Misconduct, which they call “guidelines,” Heroy must notify Weintraub. However, in their response to Wyden, UO claims that due to the complexity of the situations these “are not strict policies that require absolute adherence, nor should there be.” Despite not reporting the incident to Weintraub, UO says that Heroy and Peterson followed university protocol.

November 7, 2016: Ducks kick off their season against Northwest Christian University. Bigby-Williams scores 10 points and gets eight rebounds.

April 1, 2017: Ducks finish their season with a loss in the Final Four to University of North Carolina.

April 20, 2017: Bigby-Williams requests release from UO to transfer to Louisiana State University.

June 20, 2017: Bigby-Williams commits to transfer to LSU.

June 21, 2017: Then-Daily Emerald sports editor Kenny Jacoby publishes a story revealing that Bigby-Williams played the entire season while under investigation for sexual assault.

June 23, 2017: Two days after Jacoby’s story publishes, Bigby-Williams makes a statement to NWCCD police. He tells police that he had consensual sex that night with a woman and he did not know that she was sick or drunk. He says that he did not do anything to cause physical harm to her and that the marks on her neck were hickeys.

NWCCD police then forward the case to County Attorney Ron Wirthwein.

July 26, 2017: NWCCDPD closes their investigation after Wirthwein declines to press criminal charges against Bigby-Williams, citing “the victim’s wishes and some of the circumstances surrounding the case facts.”

October 25, 2017: Jacoby publishes his follow-up piece in Sports Illustrated, examining how the university failed to follow Title IX guidelines.

November 6, 2017: Following Jacoby’s article in Sports Illustrated, Wyden sends UO President Michael Schill a letter stating his concerns regarding how the university handled the investigation.

“If these reports are accurate, they raise major questions about the university’s commitment to creating and maintaining a safe campus environment,” Wyden wrote.

November 13, 2017: Schill responds to Wyden’s questions with a 42-page document containing a statement from Schill, answers to Wyden’s questions and the annual 2016 Title IX report.

The document contends that UO followed the proper processes, stating, “The Title IX coordinator and deputy Title IX coordinator/deputy athletic director followed both university policies and guidelines.”

Schill also says that nothing in the university’s policies indicate that Bigby-Williams’ status as a student athlete “should either cause the university to initiate a conduct proceeding against the survivor’s wishes or suspend the athlete from athletic participation prior to a finding of responsibility or a showing that his conduct creates a risk to the campus community or the athletic program.”

Schill’s statement included an offer to have a meeting with Wyden, which the senator accepted.

Follow Michael Tobin on Twitter: @Tobin_Tweets

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Documents obtained by Eugene Weekly shed more light on September’s secretive firing of Oregon Bach Festival Artistic Director Matthew Halls. Halls, who received a $90,000 settlement from the University of Oregon, was accused by four women of unequal treatment on the grounds of gender.

One of the complaints against Halls alleges that he treated female musicians differently than their male counterparts.

“She described that when Mr. Halls has comments, feedback or direction for a particular section of the orchestra he directs his comments and feedback to male participants in the section, actively passing over the female section…”, the documents state.

When he did give comments to female performers, The Register-Guard reports that he “focus(ed) on their dress … or physical appearance rather than on their performance, technique or skill.”

According to The Guard, Halls apologized to anyone who felt as if he favored one gender over another.

In addition to the allegations of unequal treatment, one complaint details a racist joke Halls allegedly made to an African-African performer which he voiced in an “antebellum accent.”

The Oregon Bach Festival is no stranger to controversy. The Guard reports that in 2015 Steven Scharf, a violinist and 37-year veteran of the festival, was banned from future events after allegations sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

The Register-Guard also reports that during the 2016 festival a countertenor named Clifton Massey was asked to leave after a male performer caught him trying to take photos through a crack at the bottom of the accuser’s door.

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Update Thursday 10:45 a.m.: 

During the police investigation, Phillip Alan Stiggins, age 34, of Springfield, was arrested at 10:23 p.m. on Nov. 15, according to a Eugene Police press release.

The involved parties in the shooting had left the O Bar parking lot onto Commons Drive. Two of the involved vehicles were possibly two silver or gray colored BMWs and were observed driving east on Commons Drive toward Kinsrow Avenue. The two cars were exchanging gunfire. The primary officer on the scene notified Springfield Police Department of a potential hazard traveling toward Springfield.

Springfield Police Department later stopped a vehicle associated with the incident at the intersection of Centennial and 1st Street. Two people were detained, including Stiggins, who was driving the vehicle. The passenger who had been detained was released and not charged.

Stiggins was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Cocaine Two Grams or More and Delivery of Cocaine.

At least two apartments in the 100 block of Common Drive were hit by bullets. The occupants had no physical injuries.

Police are continuing to seek the second vehicle, described as “a gray BMW sedan that potentially has damage from bullets.”

The investigation is ongoing.

—

Update Wednesday 5:30 p.m.:

Springfield Police pulled over a vehicle that may be involved in the investigation of a shooting that occurred earlier Today, according to Eugene PD SGT. Malcolm McAlpine.

There are no reported injuries.

One of the vehicles involved in the shooting is a light-colored sedan, possibly a four-door BMW. The driver of the vehicle has not yet been apprehended or identified.

Springfield PD does not know how many people were in each of the two cars but have detained two people from the apprehended car.

Between seven and twelve shell casings were found on the scene, some of the which hit cars and one apartment building, according to McAlpine.

Police are still investigating the shooting.

—

Eugene Police responded to reports of shots fired near the O Bar at 115 Commons Drive at approximately 11:33 a.m. and the area is now cordoned off, according to the police department’s Facebook page.

Eugene Police said that the dispute was between two male drivers in separate vehicles and that there were shots fired in the altercation.

No information was provided in regards to any injuries and the police are investigating the incident.

The Emerald reached out to the Eugene Police Department for comment but did not receive any at the time of this post being published.

Casey Crowley and Ryan Nguyen contributed the reporting in this article.

The post Updated: Eugene Police responding to shooting near Autzen Stadium, one arrested appeared first on Emerald Media.

Update at Tuesday 4:40 p.m.: 

On Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Wyden responded to the Emerald’s request for comment saying that he is open to a conversation with UO President Michael Schill.

“I love my alma mater and want to get this fixed as soon as possible – a goal that of course means I would meet with President Schill,” Sen. Wyden said. “That meeting would benefit immensely from including Brenda Tracy, a nationally recognized Oregon voice on the topic of sexual assault.”

Tracy is an advocate for rape survivors and member of the NCAA Committee to Combat Sexual Violence. She was sexually assaulted in 1998 by four men, three of who were football players at Oregon State University.

Tracy also released a statement Tuesday that was critical of the university’s handling of the investigation.

“By all accounts, it appears that UO failed to follow their own policy,” Tracy wrote in the statement.

Hank Stern, Sen. Wyden’s press secretary, said that more work needs to be done by the university when it comes to establishing protocol to deal with sexual misconduct.

“It’s clear from the university’s answers to the questions Senator Wyden raised that more work remains to improve campus safety including establishing and abiding by clear and consistent processes when allegations of sexual misconduct arise.” Stern wrote in an email to the Emerald.

Here’s @brendatracy24’s statement on UO’s response to Senator Wyden’s letter. Story to come soon.

“By all accounts, it appears that UO failed to follow their own policy… Survivors expect and deserve better than that.” pic.twitter.com/4loyuouqdZ

— Kenny Jacoby (@kennyjacoby) November 14, 2017

—

On Monday, the University of Oregon released its response to questions posed by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden on its handling of last year’s sexual assault investigation involving basketball player Kavell Bigby-Williams.

UO President Michael Schill wrote that the university chose not to pursue a conduct investigation against Bigby-Williams out of respect to the survivor’s wishes. According to Schill, the decision came after a law enforcement and Title IX team determined the evidence didn’t meet the criteria to override the survivor’s wishes in the situation.

The administration says that the Title IX coordinator and deputy coordinator, as well as the athletic director, followed university policies and guidelines.   

The response was addressing Wyden’s letter from Nov. 3 that asked UO to respond to five questions regarding the incident, requesting that a response be given by Nov. 20.

The responding letter from the university, which amounted to 42 pages, included a response from Schill, answers to Wyden’s questions from the Offices of Title IX and the General Counsel and the 2016 annual Title IX report.

Wyden’s questions come after former Daily Emerald sports editor Kenny Jacoby broke the story on the investigation in June and published a follow-up story in Sports Illustrated that criticized the university for not following its own policies.

Schill, in his response, defended the university’s actions and denounced the reporting on the investigation as not honoring the survivor’s wishes for the situation to remain private.

Schill also mentioned that the Standard Operating Procedures for sexual assault are not university policy. Instead, they are meant as guidelines that execute the Student Code of Conduct and are how UO responds to disclosures and reports of inappropriate sexual violations.

Schill concluded his letter to Wyden with an invitation for a discussion with himself, the General Counsel and the Title IX team.

In addition to the responses, the administration provided a list of UO’s Title IX services and detailed the university’s sexual assault support system, naming resources that students can use and future solutions that will be explored throughout the years 2017-2019.

Some solutions are the Responsible Reporting Policy, which was recently enacted this year, and new training for grad students, employees of the university and community members.

This list included Schill’s commitment to upholding Title IX policies following proposed changes by the Department of Education and the UO’s free legal services provided to survivors of sexual assault.

Casey Crowley contributed reporting to this story.

Correction: The date Jacoby’s article was published has been corrected.  

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On Tuesday morning, signs reading “It’s okay to be white” were found in newsstands around the University of Oregon campus.

Publications including The Emerald, Lane Community College’s The Torch and Eugene Weekly found the posters inserted inside newsstands’ displays.

It is not clear who is responsible for putting up the signs.

Oregon is the latest location of the signs. The Washington Post reports that the posters appeared at universities from Tulane in New Orleans to the University of Alberta in Canada. Just today, signs with the same message appeared at the University of Vermont campus.

A 4chan post from an anonymous user on Halloween instructed people to print out these fliers and hang them in public places. The post provided a printable link to the exact fliers posted on campus. The post stated that the point of the stunt was to leave “the media & leftists frothing at the mouth.” The post referred to the statement on the fliers as “harmless” and that those participating should not break any laws. “The point is to have the MAXIMUM CONTRAST between how evil the media portrays these posters, and how clearly benign they are to normies,” the post stated.

This is a developing story. Check back with The Daily Emerald for more.

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