Penn State Forms Abuse Task Force
In the wake of a study showing that Penn State leads the nation in reported sex offenses on campus — an issue officials attributed to awareness brought on by the Jerry Sandusky scandal — the school is forming a task force to address the matter.
In an e-mail to Penn State staff, president Eric J. Barron said “we are confident” that the university’s policies comply with Title IX, the law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and requires universities to investigate sexual assaults.
“However,” he wrote, “I do not believe that we should be satisfied with compliance — instead we should become a true leader in the prevention of sexual assault and in investigating and adjudicating student-on-student sexual assault cases while best protecting the wishes, and where appropriate and possible, the confidentiality of the survivors.”
Damon Sims, vice president of student affairs, will lead the task force.
