LOS ANGELES — After students filed a civil rights complaint against Occidental College, claiming that the school failed to protect women from sexual assaults, the college has hired two former sex crimes prosecutors to conduct an extensive review of the university handles such reports.
The complaint, which was filed with the U.S. Department of Education, claims that 37 women have been sexually assaulted since 2009. Furthermore, the plaintiffs, who are represented by Gloria Allred, allege that Occidental College discourages reporting of sex crimes. For her part, Allred says the complaint violates Title IX laws, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In response, the university has hired former sex crimes prosecutors Gina Maisto Smith and Leslie Gomez to conduct an independent review of policies and practices. The school has also launched an education effort to prevent sexual violence on campus.
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