© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

University Of Missouri System Expected To Change Sexual Misconduct Policy

Yassie
/
Wikimedia Commons

Later this week, the University of Missouri Board of Curators will vote on a plan to change the way sexual assault and harassment complaints are handled.

But some faculty members say the process is moving forward a little too quickly.

University of Missouri system President Tim Wolfe is proposing a change that would require schools to investigate sexual harassment or discrimination cases within 60 days.

The proposal before the curators also would widen which employees must report harassment to the administration and change the hearing process.

The action comes as Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla was listed as one of 79 universities that are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

The University of Missouri's athletics department also has been involved in controversy. Former running back Derrick Washington was sentenced to five years in prison in 2011 for sexually assaulting a former athletic department tutor.

Timothy Wolfe will take over as University of Missouri System President February 15, 2012.
Credit Courtesty of the University of Missouri System
University of Missouri system President Tim Wolfe proposes changes to the way sexual misconduct is investigated on campuses.

It was later revealed that others had made assault allegations against him before he was charged.

Faculty council chairman Craig Roberts says faculty members will not oppose the new rules, but would have liked more time to review them and offer input.

“It’s just unsettling to see collective rules of this degree of importance, these critical collective rules, move forward with only minimal discussion,” he says.

Roberts says while some faculty members are uneasy with the process, they feel so strongly about student safety that they will not try to block the changes.

The curators meet Thursday and Friday on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus.

You deserve to know what your taxpayer dollars are paying for and what public officials are doing on your behalf – I’ll work to report on irresponsible government spending in the Kansas City area and shed light on controversies that slow government down. And when you hear my voice in the morning, you know you’re getting everything you need to start your day. Email me at sam@kcur.org, find me on Twitter @samzeff or call me at 816-235-5004.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.