Schools
Oxy Settles Sexual Assault Case with Students
The women are among dozens who have accused the school of failing to properly address their complaints that they were sexually assaulted on campus.
Occidental College in Eagle Rock has reached a monetary settlement of an undisclosed amount with at least 10 current and former students who were part of a federal complaint against the school for alleged mishandling of sexual assault allegations, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The women are all represented by attorney Gloria Allred's firm, and the settlement was reached under the condition that they not speak publicly about the case, according to the story.
As Eagle Rock Patch has previously reported, the women are among dozens who have said the school failed to properly address their complaints that they were sexually assaulted on campus, misled them about their rights and retaliated against those that criticized the school's handling of sexual assault accusations.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has also been investigating the college to determine if it discriminated against the complainants on the basis of sex. The complaints against Oxy includes alleged retaliation by college authorities against Professor Danielle Dirks for supporting students who say they were raped or sexually assaulted from 2009 through 2013.
In a prepared statement, according to the Times, Occidental spokesman Jim Tranquada said Wednesday, "We cannot comment except to say that this matter has been resolved. It is a confidential matter and we intend to honor the confidentiality and privacy of those involved. The college continues to move ahead with its efforts to address this important issue and make Occidental a national leader in dealing with sexual misconduct."
In response to the accusations and protests held on campus in the spring, the school over the summer appointed Lauren Carella, a former prosecutor in the sex crimes unit of the York County District Attorney’s Office in Pennsylvania, as interim Title IX coordinator.
Read previous Eagle Rock stories on the sexual assault crisis at Oxy:
Q&A With Oxy Professor on the College’s Sexual Assaults Scandal
Oxy Takes New Steps to Address Sexual Assaults on Campus
Oxy Under Federal Investigation Amid Sexual Assaults Crisis on Campus
Oxy Students Protest College's Alert System [Video]
Sleepover For Sexual Assault Awareness Draws Oxy Students,…
9 Fast Facts: Sexual Assault and Title IX
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
