Sexual assault at Michigan colleges is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. But, colleges have been making efforts to end sexual assault on campuses statewide.
Our team of Title IX lawyers in Okemos, MI, at White Law PLLC discusses the prevalence of sexual assault on campuses and what colleges are doing to end it. We offer a free consultation to survivors of sexual assault.
How Common Is Sexual Assault on Michigan Campuses?
In a nationwide ranking of the 27 most dangerous colleges, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor ranked 1 based on the number of violent crimes reported from 2019 to 2021. A total of 1,468 crimes were reported, and 97% of them were instances of rape. These statistics do not include statutory rape, so the number could be higher.
Another college that has a high number of sexual assaults is Michigan State University in Lansing. The college ranked number 23, with 84 violent crimes reported, and 72% were rapes.
Throughout the years, there have been numerous sexual assault cases at both colleges. The Larry Nassar sexual abuse case in 2016 at Michigan State and the case against Dr. Robert Anderson at the University of Michigan, who sexually assaulted students during their physicals.
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New Policies to Prevent Sexual Assault on Campus
The two colleges have both released plans to prevent future sexual assault. The University of Michigan has made the following policies to end campus sexual assault:
- Supervisor-employee relationships are prohibited. Any supervisor who tries to initiate or form a relationship with an employee will face dismissal.
- If a retired faculty member has an emeritus title and sexually assaults someone, they will lose their title.
- The university makes sure that policy violations and sexual misconduct are available to every decision-maker involved in the hiring process.
Michigan State University has also released a new plan to decrease sexual assault across the campus. The university aims to:
- Expand trauma-informed services so that prevention training doesn’t trigger survivors of sexual assault.
- Strengthen the discipline process for faculty and students who sexually assault others.
- Encourage people who committed sexual assault to take accountability for their actions.
- Create a respectful work environment where everyone can succeed.
Michigan State University Implements Sexual Assault Training, And It’s Mandatory
Michigan State University is often in the news for sexual assault. In an effort to decrease sexual assault on campus, the university held its first in-person mandatory sexual assault prevention training after two years of virtual classes.
This training meets the requirements of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board’s roadmap for the prevention of sexual assault. And even though the training has already been in session for two years, in-person training may be more effective.
It’s On Us, a sexual assault prevention group, discovered in their findings that a majority of young men didn’t know that sexual assault on college campuses was an issue. But many men admitted they felt the education they were getting wasn’t enough.
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Challenges Remaining in Eliminating Sexual Misconduct
While colleges have implemented significant reforms to better prevent and respond to sexual assault, real challenges still remain in fully eliminating sexual misconduct on campus. One major hurdle is addressing the prevalent social attitudes that have normalized or trivialized nonconsensual behavior.
Decades of conditioning are difficult to overcome, and not all students are receptive to new consent education. Additionally, underreporting of incidents continues to hide the true scope of the problem. Many survivors do not feel comfortable coming forward due to fears of retaliation or not being believed.
Proving claims can also be an obstacle, as misconduct often occurs in private with limited witnesses or evidence.
Administrative investigations have also received criticism for alleged bias or insufficient neutrality. Additionally, perpetrators can sometimes escape serious punishment if they withdraw or transfer to another college. Overall, a profound cultural shift is still needed that places the rights and respect of all students at the forefront.
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White Law PLLC’s Experience With Combating Campus Sexual Assault
Our law firm has over 20 years of combined experience helping survivors and our community recover from sexual assault. Our team has represented survivors in the Larry Nassar case along with several other major cases.
Through our work, we strive to help students and faculty get the education they need to help prevent further sexual assault on campus. If you’re a survivor of campus sexual assault, our team of Title IX attorneys in Okemos, MI, can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
We recovered a global settlement of $800 million for the survivors of Larry Nassar and $490 million for survivors of the University of Michigan’s Dr. Anderson.
Contact Us to Learn More About Efforts to End Sexual Assault on Michigan Campuses
At White Law PLLC, in our work, we aim to help decrease and eventually eliminate sexual assault from campuses so all students can pursue an education without fear. But until we reach that goal, our team of Title IX lawyers in Okemos, MI, is here to help you through this difficult time.
Contact us for a free consultation.
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