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Hocking College President Confirms Title IX Investigation
By: Susan Tebben
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In a letter to students and staff, Hocking College President Betty Young confirmed that an investigation by the university is still ongoing in reference to an alleged sexual offense on campus.
The letter, which was obtained by WOUB on Wednesday, said while no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, a Title IX investigation is being conducted.
The allegation was made in an incident report filed Sept. 1 with the Hocking College Police Department. A woman said she had been drinking at a party on Ohio University’s campus before going back to her residence at Hocking College.
The alleged victim said a group of males helped her get into her apartment and she woke up the next morning naked with five naked males in her bed, according to the report.
She contacted a counselor at the college, who then referred her to the college’s advocacy center. She was then told to talk to police.
A Title IX investigation looks into allegations of sexual misconduct by and against students of an education institution, according to Hocking College’s Title IX page on their website.
Sexual assault is defined in the college’s policy manual as “any unwanted sexual behavior between two or more persons to which one person does not or cannot consent.”
Students who are found in violation of this provision are subject to “a range of disciplinary sanctions including disciplinary expulsion from Hocking College,” according to the policy.
“(Sexual assault) survivors are encouraged to report the assault as soon as possible to Hocking College personnel and/or the appropriate law enforcement agency,” the policy stated. “Early reporting will assist in the investigation and collection of evidence relevant to the case.”
The Athens County Prosecutor’s Office is also conducting a criminal investigation, according to Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.
“We took this allegation seriously and immediately contacted the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office to conduct the investigation,” Young wrote. “We continue to cooperate with the prosecutor’s office.”