UNC Suspends Honor Court Due to Retaliation Claim
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp Tuesday announced that the student-led Honor System has been asked to suspend an Honor Court proceeding involving a student who has spoken out about sexual assault issues on campus.
In connection with that case, Thorp said campus officials understand that a claim of retaliation may be filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against the university.
“For several weeks, the university has grappled with how best to respond to a public claim of retaliation against the university while maintaining the autonomy and integrity of our Honor Court proceedings and the privacy of the individuals involved,” Thorp wrote in an open letter to students, faculty and staff.
“Recognizing the potential conflicts that may exist by allowing both processes to continue, we have asked the Student Attorney General to suspend the Honor Court proceeding pending an external review of these allegations of retaliation. The University takes all allegations of retaliation seriously, whether against an individual or an institution, and this allegation is no exception.”
Thorp also invoked the Carolina community’s long tradition of encouraging students to exercise their right to speak out.
The University has made significant changes to its policies in recent years and brought in Gina Smith, a national expert on sexual assault issues, to help lead campus conversations to help further strengthen the University’s current response to sexual assault. Those discussions are ongoing.
The Office for Civil Rights has emphasized its role as a ‘neutral fact-finder’ engaged in collecting and analyzing evidence from the complainants, the University and other sources.
Thorp has called sexual assault one of the greatest challenges facing college campuses nationwide, including Carolina.
To read Chancellor Thorp’s full campus message, click here.
Related Articles:
- Dept. of Ed Opens Investigation Into UNC’s Handling of Sexual Assaults
- UNC Sex Assault Victim Faces Possible Expulsion for Speaking to Media
- UNC Allegedly Pressured Assistant Dean to Underreport Sex Assaults
- What Are Violent and Abusive Dating Behaviors?
- What Should Campuses Do About Batterers?
- Stalking on Campus: A Silent Epidemic
- How to Comply With the Dept. of Ed’s Title IX Sexual Violence Guidance
- How to Investigate Campus Sexual Assaults
- The Federal Campus Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill Of Rights
- Clery Reporting: Whose Job Is It Anyway?
- Additional Clery Compliance Guidance
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