Dear Colgate Community,
I write to share with you as much information as possible about accounts of sexual assault or misconduct that have been circulating over the past few days. Colgate takes sexual violence seriously, and stands ready and willing to respond to any specific reports it may receive.
While we can not comment on individual cases, I want to assure you that each and every report of sexual misconduct is treated seriously, and each complaint is investigated and pursued to the fullest extent possible. Sexual assault and harrassment at Colgate will not be tolerated, and we will continue to be vigilant in our work to address incidents whenever they arise.
Some recent social media postings have been causing confusion, and so we are writing to clarify a few points:
- Colgate has not received five complaints of sexual assault against any individual.
- Colgate responds to every single report of sexual misconduct that we receive.
- Colgate would never respond to an allegation of sexual assault by simply moving a student's residence on campus.
- In order to investigate any allegation, we need to have it reported (and, in most cases, consent of the person reported to have been subjected to misconduct). We cannot investigate postings, or reports that do not offer specific information such as the identities of the persons involved and (if known) a description of what happened. If you have information relating to any sexual misconduct by a member of the campus community, please share it with us.
- Even if you do not have firsthand information, you may be able to help us respond. (You can do so by contacting the Office of Equity and Diversity, or the Title IX Coordinator, or by calling Campus Safety. You can also report anonymously by using this form for reporting an incident, though the University is limited in its capacity to act on anonymous reports.)
- Forwarding anonymous posts through social media is not a reporting vehicle and typically does not enable the University to take action.
Colgate respects the right of survivors or others to decide whether to make a report with identifying information and/or to seek an investigation, but without this kind of information we cannot take action based on unspecified assertions that someone has engaged in misconduct. In the event of a report by a third party we consult with the student who is reported to have been subjected to sexual assault or misconduct in order to consider their wishes.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or misconduct, Colgate’s support resources at HAVEN and the Counseling Center are here to assist.
Responding to sexual violence is hard, but necessary work for a campus. The professionals who take it on do so because they want to make a difference; no one connected to the Office of Equity and Diversity has any interest in turning a blind eye to the very real problem of sexual violence. Student activists concerned about sexual violence on campus have also made significant contributions to Colgate's recent efforts to better inform students about how our Title IX processes work. We all have an interest in eliminating sexual violence on our campus, and when we work together, we can make the progress necessary to achieve this goal.
Sincerely,
Paul J. McLoughlin II, Ph.D.
Vice President & Dean of the College