Oxy Faculty Casts Votes of No Confidence in College Counsel, Students’ Dean, Amid Sexual Assaults Scandal

Five days after Occidental College announced it is conducting a national search for a Title IX coordinator to deal with gender-related discrimination issues, the Oxy faculty voted Monday that it has lost confidence in the services of the college counsel and the dean of students in the wake of a recent sexual assaults scandal revolving around dozens of students and alumni.

At a special executive session meeting of the Occidental faculty, the faculty voted, 70-6, with four abstentions, on a motion of no confidence in College Counsel Carl Botterud, according to a communiqué e-mailed by Amy Lyford, an Oxy professor of Modern Art History, on behalf of the college faculty.

The faculty also voted, 65-9, with six abstentions, on a second motion of no confidence in Dean of Students Barbara Avery.

The result of the votes, cast by paper ballots, are being forwarded to Oxy President Jonathan Veitch, Lyford said.

"We take the concerns of the faculty very seriously," the college responded in an official statement following the faculty vote, according to Oxy Director of Communications Jim Tranquada.

"We've hired national experts to help us address the issue of sexual assault on campus and we are taking a series of proactive steps in that regard," the statement said, adding: "Those steps are outlined in May 1 memo from President Jonathan Veitch. The College is committed to having the best policies, procedures and personnel in place to allow us to be a model for other colleges to follow."

• Click here to read a series of recent open letters from Oxy President Veitch to the campus community regarding the sexual assaults scandal.

• Click here to read details about an April 18 news conference at which six Oxy students, including Logan, read statements about their alleged rape or sexual assault.

• Click here to read about an April 19 "Sleepover For Sexual Assault Awareness" at the Occidental College campus.

• Click here to read about an Oxy senior who says she was raped and that she “encountered lots of barriers” coping with her trauma at college.