This timeline documents contact between OSAC members and the Oxy Administration pertaining to sexual assault issues on campus. It starts with a town hall meeting in March of 2007 and ends with a town hall meeting in March of 2013, exemplifying the “Oxy way” of substituting talk for action. During these six years, OSAC members participated in 7 different campus-wide forums on sexual assault, met with Administrators more than 20 times, participated in three different tasks forces, and gave 8 presentations on persistent issues with Oxy’s sexual assault programming, policies, and procedures. This timeline does not reflect the work of passionate student, faculty, and staff advocates who have also worked tirelessly to improve sexual assault issues at Oxy during and prior to this time. This is not a new conversation, and to treat it as such erases the work that has been done and further delays taking long overdue action.
Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition Timeline - Occidental College
1. OXY SEXUAL ASSAULT COALITION
Timeline of OSAC Efforts at Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
TIMELINE
This timeline documents contact between OSAC members and the Oxy Administration
pertaining to sexual assault issues on campus. It starts with a town hall meeting in March of
2007 and ends with a town hall meeting in March of 2013, exemplifying the “Oxy way” of
substituting talk for action. During these six years, OSAC members participated in 7 different
campuswide forums on sexual assault, met with Administrators more than 20 times,
participated in three different task forces, and gave 8 presentations on persistent issues with
Oxy’s sexual assault programming, policies, and procedures. This timeline does not reflect the
work of passionate student, faculty, and staff advocates who have also worked tirelessly to
improve sexual assault issues at Oxy during and prior to this time. This is not a new
conversation, and to treat it as such erases the work that has been done and further delays
taking long overdue action.
2007
March 8 2007 The Administration hosts a town hall meeting to discuss campus climate
issues, including racism, homophobia, and sexual assault, after a series of troubling events on
campus.
April 6 2007 Professor Heldman meets with the Administration to discuss changing campus
climate with better orientation and leadership training. She proposes bringing the nation’s leading
expert on gendered violence prevention, Dr. Jackson Katz, to campus for Orientation and
leadership training in the fall. The administration agrees, but to date, Dr. Katz has not come to
Oxy for Orientation or leadership training.
April 10 2007 The Administration hosts another town hall meeting was held to discuss campus
climate issues pertaining to new instances of racism, sexism, and homophobia.
October 17 2007 The Occidental Weekly : A Policy of Prevention (“The College has a zero
tolerance policy on sexual assault and rape.”) This article expresses concern about the
transparency of Oxy’s policy and effectiveness of prevention efforts.
2009
April 20 2009 The Occidental Weekly : Take Back the Week Promotes Dialogue About Sexual
Violence
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May 17 2009 Professors Heldman and Wade contact Naddia Palacios in Student Services to
share that they are “frightened” by the rates of sexual assault that they discovered on Oxy’s
campus through their study of hookup culture on the campus. They ask for assistance in
sharing this data with the campus community through programming to create action on
preventing sexual assault at Oxy. Palacios shares this with her supervisor, but no action is
taken.
May 25 2009 The Politics Department files formal complaint about with Faculty Council in
response to the Administration’s handling of a sexual assault case.
Summer 2009 In response to the Politics Department’s formal complaint, Faculty Council
develops a Faculty Hearing Board to review the details of the formal complaint and make
recommendations to the College for improving sexual assault policy and procedures.
September 23 2009 Professors Boesche and Heldman present data to the Faculty Hearing
Board about the national rape epidemic and issues at Oxy. Two days later, they send additional
materials on sexual assault policy and procedure suggestions requested by the Hearing Board.
October 1523 2009 Professor Heldman and the Center for Gender Equity host Masculinities
Week to shift campus climate around issues of sexual violence at Oxy. Heldman invites
newlyappointed President Jonathan Veitch to be a cosponsor, but he declines and instead calls
her into a meeting to express concern about the theme. Nearly 800 Oxy students and
community members attended nine events over the course of the week.
October 2009 For the second time, Professor Heldman meets with staff about bringing
Jackson Katz to campus for orientation the following year, and while staff members are
enthusiastic about the idea, the Administration chooses not to bring Dr. Katz for orientation.
November 6 2009 Faculty Hearing Board on Sexual Assault releases a report that includes
clear recommendations for revisions to improve sexual assault policies and procedures on
campus: (1) convene a task force of outside professionals to study Oxy’s sexual assault
problem, (2) form a standing faculty committee to work with the Dean of Students office to revise
the policy, and (3) form a standing pool of trained faculty to participate in adjudication.
proceedings.
2010
Summer 2010 The Administration hires NCHERM (National Center for Higher Education Risk
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Management) and works with ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators) to improve sexual
assault policies and procedures. This training does not comply with recommendations from the
Faculty Hearing Board on Sexual Assault, but instead focuses on limiting institutional liability.
This training results in removal of the zerotolerance language from the policy and alteration of
consent from only verbal to verbal or physical (obfuscating consent and making it much more
difficult to establish consent in judicial hearings). The student body is not notified of these
changes.
September 20 2010 In trying to meet the third recommendation of the Faculty Hearing Board,
Faculty Council emails faculty requesting individuals who would be willing to be trained to serve
on hearing boards.
Fall 2010 The Administration brings a convicted rapist to campus to talk about alcohol and
sexual assault issues for a mandatory Orientation session. Many survivors were triggered and
expressed their concern with student services. This convicted rapist spoke to another student
group the following day.
October 22 2010 A group of faculty members send an open letter calling for action to change
campus climate given the racial and sexual nature of a bias incident involving a Greekaffiliated
organization. The incidents are investigated and documented by LAPD and Campus Safety and
Dean Gonzalez affirms a commitment to discussion about diversity and equity.
October 23 2010 Professor Heldman emails Dean Jorge Gonzalez to call for action about
reports of sexual assault committed by members of the same Greekaffiliated organization. In
the email, she shares that 40 percent of the anonymously reported rapes in the previous year
involved members of this organization (using Project SAFE data).
October 2010 Professor Heldman meets with Deans Jorge Gonzalez and Barbara Avery,
providing national data and data on the Greekaffiliated organization. Dean Avery assures
Professor Heldman that sexual assault was happening “all over campus,” not just at this
Greekaffiliated organization. No further action is taken.
2011
April 4 2011 Department of Education Office of Civil Rights releases a “Dear Colleague” Letter
that reiterates, “The sexual harassment of students, including sexual violence, interferes with
students’ right to receive an education free from discrimination and, in the case of sexual
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violence, is a crime” and that “All such acts of sexual violence are forms of sexual harassment
covered under Title IX” (a 1972 federal mandate that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex
in education programs or activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance).
Summer/Fall 2011 Student reaches out to Professors Heldman and Gonzalez after the
Administration refuses to release the decision of the assault hearing and college legal counsel
pressures student at workplace and over email to settle case, and then asks complainant to
share her experience as a rape survivor with students and their parents at Orientation.
Fall 2011 Two other survivors come forward with mishandled rape cases, and Professors
Gonzalez and Heldman begin informal meetings with survivors and allies to best practices for
addressing these issues.
August 2011 Dean Erica O’Neal Howard joins Oxy staff as Associate Dean of Students and is
responsible for the College’s Title IX compliance. The Title IX Coordinator was previously a
faculty member.
September 9 2011 The Occidental Weekly : Violent Crimes Lead to Questions About
Emergency Protocols
September 13 2011 The Occidental Weekly : It Could Have Been Prevented
September 13 2011 The Occidental Weekly : Don’t Think it Doesn’t Happen Here
September 19 2011 Professors Gonzalez and Heldman meet with President Veitch to request
the firing of an administrator whom they believe violated the law in the handling of a sexual
assault case. No action is taken on this request.
October 6 2011 Professors Heldman and Wade meet with President Jonathan Veitch, Dean
Barbara Avery, and Dean Erica O’Neal Howard to give a presentation, “Sexual Assault on
Campus: Overview and Best Practices” to which President Veitch responds that he wishes to
make Occidental College a “national leader” on sexual assault issues.
October 12 2011 The Occidental Weekly : Editorial from Estrella Lucero, Stephanie Davis and
Fatima Avellan
October 28, 2011 Professors Heldman and Gonzalez discuss with Deans Girton and Avery to
discuss the handling of a sexual assault case. They meet again about this same case three
days later with legal counsel Carl Botterud.
November 7 2011 Professor Heldman meets with Paula Crisostomo, the head of the ICC, to
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discuss concerns about sexual assault issues on campus.
November 21 2011 The Occidental Weekly : Occidental Reforms its Sexual Misconduct
Policy
November/December 2011 Students lobby student services to bring Dr. Katz to campus for
orientation. Dr. Katz is again not scheduled for Orientation.
November 21 2011 The Administration forms another sexual assault task force led by the
Director of the Office of Community Engagement.
November 30 2011 Professors Gonzalez and Heldman meet with administrators to set goals
for this sexual assault task force.
December 6 2011 Professor Heldman presents national and Oxyspecific data to the sexual
assault task force.
2012
February 14 2012 After the second sexual assault task force meeting, Professors Heldman,
Wade, and Gonzalez conclude that this task force will not be effective given its size, lack of
formal training on the issue, mission, and time constraints. They decide not to participate.
February 14 2012 After years of individual meetings with administrations and several survivors
coming forward with complaints about the hearing and appeals process for sexual assault
adjudication procedures, a group of students and faculty formally decide to organize as the Oxy
Sexual Assault Coalition.
Spring 2012 Using the "Dear Colleague" letter, national best practices, national data, and data
from Oxy students as a template for evaluating Occidental's sexual assault policies, procedures,
and programming, OSAC spends approximately 150 hours to develop an 80+ point “matrix” that
compares Oxy to makes recommendations in nine topic areas: policy, reporting procedures,
investigation procedures, adjudication, survivor support services, prevention programming,
evaluation, public reporting, and institutional features.
March 6 2012 The Occidental Weekly : Sexual Violence Cannot be Addressed Through Risk
Reduction Alone
April 3 2012 A student requests a meeting with Dean Avery to discuss sexual battery at Spring
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Fest, but his/her request is ignored. S/he requests a response from the Dean three months later
and is again ignored.
May 4 2012 Professor Heldman requests a meeting with Deans Avery and O’Neal Howard to
discuss the 20page rubric for sexual assault best practices that would improve sexual assault
climate, programming, policy, and procedures at Occidental College.
May 13 2012 The Occidental Weekly : Flaws Found in Sexual Assault Policy
May 21 2012 OSAC meets with Deans Avery, O’Neal Howard, Turenne, Chang, students,
Tamara Rice, Emily Harris, Paula Crisostomo to discuss the sexual assault rubric. The
Administration tells OSAC that they don’t have adequate staffing and time to look into the issue,
but ask OSAC to revise the policy and procedures. OSAC members spend the summer
completing these tasks, but their revisions and recommendations are ignored.
May 29 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks meet with Assistant Director for Intercultural
Affairs, Dominic Alletto, to discuss and prepare for Orientation’s sexual assault programming,
with a focus on “good sex,” consent, and sexual misconduct. Heldman and Dirks recommend
Dr. Katz also come to speak given his agreement and interest.
June 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks ask Faculty Council to establish a faculty task force
to improve ongoing problems with sexual assault on campus.
July 6 2012 Assistant Director for Intercultural Affairs, Dominic Alletto, emails Professors
Heldman and Dirks saying that Orientation will only devote 40 minutes for their presentation on
sexual assault to which Professors Heldman and Dirks decline as it demonstrates “that College
is not taking issue of sexual assault seriously.”
July 20 2012 Professor Dirks emails Dean O’Neal Howard about the Anonymous Reporting
Form to inform her that the form requires a login and therefore cannot be accessed
anonymously. After six days and several emails back and forth, the form is updated to allow
anonymous reporting.
August 2012 OSAC develops several sexual assault resource pages for survivors and allies
for Orientation. These resources are not distributed.
September 21 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks email Dean O’Neal Howard to inquire
about changes made to the sexual assault policy that were made without notifying the campus
community over the summer. These changes essentially create an “automatic appeals” process
whereby an appeal can be granted if a respondent or a complainant find the sanctions unfair.
Dean O’Neal Howard refers Professors Heldman and Dirks to Deans Avery and Gonzalez.
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September 22 2012 OSAC develops a website that features pages of resources and a
“Survivors Stories” [Trigger Warning] page where students can share their experiences at Oxy.
September 26 2012: The Occidental Weekly : Project SAFE PA Forced Out
September 27 2012 Professors Dirks and Heldman meet with Deans Gonzalez and Avery
about continuing problems with the sexual assault process. Dean Avery confirms that her staff
has been stonewalling faculty efforts around sexal assault issues because some faculty have
been “too pushy.”
September 25 2012 OSAC completes and distributes policy and procedure
recommendations.
October 17 2012 Dean Barbara Avery sends an email to the campus community with a link to
a newly established “Sexual Assault Resources and Support” that replicates a resource on the
OSAC website.
October 19 2012 The Occidental Weekly : Students: Sexual Misconduct Policy Changes
Lacked Full Disclosure
October 19 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks meet with Deans Avery and O’Neal Howard
to discuss policy recommendations, express concern about administrative stonewalling on
sexual assault issues, and present OSAC’s 12 Demands. Professors Heldman and Dirks state
in clear terms that students are interested in filing a Title IX complaint if the Administration does
not initiate swift and effective action, starting with the 12 Demands.
October 19 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks request a meeting with President Veitch in
response to Deans Avery and O'NealHoward’s being “equanimous about the prospect of
students filing complaints with the Office of Civil rights about their experiences with Oxy's sexual
assault process.” The President does not reply to this request.
October 2012 OSAC gains 19 additional faculty supporters.
October 21 2012 OSAC attends provides nonviolence training for Day of Action around sexual
assault issues and appoints “nonviolence ambassadors” in preparation for the day.
October 23 2012 OSAC meets with Faculty Council to provide a background for the 12
Demands and shares a timeline of OSAC’s efforts thus far with Administrators and President
Veitch.
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Timeline of OSAC Efforts at Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
October 25 2012 OSAC hosts an Informational Session on the recent history of sexual assault
prevention efforts at Oxy and the content of and need for the 12 Demands. President Veitch
attends the session.
October 25 2012 OSAC sends President Veitch 1) Informational Session presentation
materials, 2) aggregate data on Oxy sexual assault cases (including the number of known serial
rapists invited back to campus), 3) the reworked/rewritten sexual assault policy and procedure
that Dean of Students Office requested in May 2012, and a recent Center for Public Integrity
study that demonstrates campus sexual assault adjudication processes across the nation give
weak sanctions to individuals found responsible for sexual misconduct and serve to traumatize
victims and survivors.
October 31 2012 President Veitch emails Professors Heldman and Dirks about their concerns
of the length of the adjudication process, not calling witnesses, inconsistent sanctions, appeals
granted without standing, and routine overturning of sanctions on appeal. Based on information
from his staff, he dismisses these concerns but agrees to an evaluation of cases adjudicated in
the previous 18 months.
November 5, 2012 Dean Avery sends email formally agreeing to three of the 12 Demands.
OSAC members vote and deem this response unacceptable and seek a meeting with President
Veitch.
November 7 2012 Professors Dirks, Heldman, and five other members of OSAC meet with
President Jonathan Veitch to discuss the 12 Demands. The President agrees to seriously
consider all 12 Demands in order to reach a resolution before the Day of Action planned for
November 13.
November 7 2012 7:30 PM OSAC presents the 12 Demands at an ASOC General Assembly
meeting about sexual assault. President Veitch, Dean Turenne, and Professor Dirks speak at
the assembly.
November 8 2012 President Veitch Agrees to 10 of the 12 Demands in a lengthy phone call
with Professor Heldman with further discussion on two points: location of the Title IX coordinator
and the definition of consent. Professor Heldman shares the specifics of the phone conversation
with OSAC members who are satisfied with progress on these basic changes.
November 10 2012 OSAC announces via website that the Day of Action will now be a Day of
Celebration given President Veitch’s agreement to 10 out of the 12 Demands.
November 11 2012 OSAC gives a presentation to the Black Student Alliance (BSA) on the 12
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Demands, providing Oxyspecific data and national statistics on sexual violence.
November 13 2012 Professor Heldman gives a presentation on OSAC and 12 Demands at
the Faculty Meeting, publicly thanks President Veitch for accepting 10 of the 12 Demands, and
invites faculty to attend the Day of Celebration.
November 13 2012 Day of Celebration as campus celebrates President Veitch’s acceptance
of 10 of 12 Demands. Over 100 students, faculty, and staff march to celebrate the
Administration’s agreement to these basic changes.
November 16 2012 Professors Dirks and Heldman request a meeting with President Veitch to
set the agenda for the third sexual assault task force. President Veitch responds that he wishes
to first meet with survivors of sexual assault and consult with college counsel about liability
issues.
November 28 2012 The Occidental Weekly : President Veitch Agrees to Sexual Misconduct
Policy Changes “OSAC’s input included a number of good ideas. While there are still a couple of
points where further discussion is necessary — specifically, how consent is defined and
whether the Title IX coordinator position should once again become a faculty post — everyone at
Oxy shares the same goal: creating a safe, caring, respectful environment,” Director of
Communications Jim Tranquada said.”
December 4 2012 Professors Heldman and Dirks request another meeting with President
Veitch to set the agenda for the third sexual assault task force.
December 4 2012 Professor Heldman sends President Veitch requested examples of how
other schools (including Yale’s campuswide alerts) report crimes involving sexual misconduct
and violence, and speaks to him on the phone about this and other demands.
December 7 2012 Professors Dirks and Heldman meet with President Veitch to set the
agenda for the most recent incarnation of the sexual assault task force. They agree to have the
task force meet before the break, conduct a three year review, and obtain POV and NCHERM
training for all task force members. None of these agreements will be upheld.
December 12 2012 Dean Avery and President Veitch receive a legal document stating ways in
which the school has violated Title IX in three different sexual assault cases. President Veitch
acknowledges receipt of this “quite lengthy” document.
December 12 2012 Ms. Magazine : A California College Hopes to Model Best Sexual Assault
Policies
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December 12 2012 Huffington Post : Nina Flores: A California College Hopes to Model Best
Sexual Assault Policies
December 12 2012 Survivors of rape/sexual assault at Oxy meet with President Veitch to
share their experiences and concerns with the process.
2013
January 4 2013 Dean Avery announces to the campus community that the Administration will
comply with Demand #1, removal of the “automatic appeals” language in the sexual assault
policy. By announcing this to the campus, the Administration is also complying with Demand #5,
“inform the campus of all changes to the sexual misconduct policy.”
January 15 2013 President Veitch sends an email to Professors Dirks and Heldman asking
for Task Force additional members to meet the two faculty, two students, and two administrators
organization.
February 5 2013 Professor Dirks meets with task force CoChair Shelby Radcliffe and
President Veitch to discuss the charge of the task force. The President changed the charge from
investigation of past cases and the 12 Demands to hearing from different constituencies and
researching best practices. In other words, OSAC’s extensive research and evaluation of best
practices and other institutions, the basis for the 12 Demands, will not be used.
February 9 2013 OSAC meets and determines that this third task force will not effectively
address extensive problems with Oxy’s sexual assault programming, policies, and procedures
given its late start, lack of training, and new charge. OSAC concludes that, whether intentional or
not, this task force serves as a delay tactic to get through the spring semester into summer
where student enthusiasm around important campus issues goes to die. OSAC members vote
in favor of restarting Clery Act and Title IX fact gathering efforts.
February 12 2013 Professor Dirks sends CoChair Radcliffe the following items for to be
distributed to the task force: (1) sexual assault statistics on Oxy’s adjudication process, (2)
reworked policy language, (3) reworked procedure language, (4) the Oxy Sexual Assault Matrix,
(5) the 12 Demands, (6) the DOJ sexual violence “Dear Colleague” letter, (7) the 2006
Armstrong et al. article on campus rape, (8) the 2007 Sanday article on campus rape, and (9)
the Huffington Post and Ms. Magazine article “California College Hopes to Model Best Sexual
Assault Policies.” These materials are not sent to the task force. Instead, members are sent
links to the current Oxy sexual assault policy, and the OSAC website.
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February 25 2013 An Oxy student reports a rape by another Oxy student on February 24, 2013
to the Administration.
February 26 2013 The third sexual assault task force meets for the first time, three months
after it was agreed upon. This committee does not receive POV or NCHERM training, and the
mission has changed. Task force members include Shelby Radcliffe (Vice President for
Institutional Advancement) and Professor Danielle Dirks (Assistant Professor of Sociology),
Roberta Dacus (Family Nurse Practitioner, Emmons Health Center), Erica O'Neal Howard
(Senior Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator), John Swift (Professor of ECLS
and Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Issues), Hailey Jures ('14) and AjaFull Sanneh
('13), and Jonathan Veitch (President). Estrella Lucero (‘13) replaces Hailey Jures as the Task
Force meetings are scheduled during her class time.
February 27 2013 Police Investigating Rape Near Occidental College « CBS Los Angeles
February 28 2013 Police Investigating Rape Near Occidental College | KTLA 5
February 28 2013 After several media reports about the reported sexual assault, Dean Avery
sends an email to the campus community about a report of a sexual assault involving two
students. Dean Avery writes that no report was sent to students using the campus alert system
as the case “was determined not to constitute a continuing threat.”
February 28 2013 CBS Los Angeles : Students, Professors Outraged They Weren’t Told Of
Rape At Occidental College
March 1 2013 Approximately 300 students protest in front of Occidental College’s
Administrative Offices over Dean Avery’s email and Oxy’s refusal to the use the campus alert
system to tell students that a report of sexual assault had been made on February 25, 2013.
March 1 2013 LA Times Blog Occidental College Defends Response to Reported Sexual
Assault
March 1 2013 Chronicle of Higher Education : Occidental College Defends Response to
Reported Sexual Assault
March 4 2013 Oxy students begin a Change.org Petition | President Jonathan Veitch & Dean
Barbara Avery: Any Rapist at Occidental College is a Continuing Threat
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March 5 2013 President Veitch sends email “A Letter to the Campus Community” that
demonstrates he is disinclined to believe victims who report rape and calls out Professor
Danielle Dirks and an Oxy student who shared her experience as a rape survivor on the local
news as “actively seeking to embarrass the College on the evening news.”
In this open letter, President Veitch also states that he only agreed to a conversation about the
12 Demands. This statement is contradicted by the Administration’s stance in the November 28,
2012 Oxy Weekly article “President Veitch agrees to Sexual Misconduct Policy Changes” that
only two of the 12 Demands required further discussion.
March 6 2013 Oxy students begin a “Dear Oxy” Tumblr campaign.
March 6 2013 OSAC writes an Open Letter to President Veitch that is shared with faculty,
staff, and students and on their Facebook and website. On Facebook, it received over 12,000
insights within the first day of being posted.
March 2013 OSAC gains 18 additional faculty supporters.
March 5 2013 The Occidental Weekly : Administration and OSAC Clash Over CampusWide
Alert System
March 5 2013 The Occidental Weekly : Letter to the Editor from President Veitch
March 6 2013 Rape and Other Crimes: Sexist Policy and Campus Safety » Sociological
Images Crossposted at Ms., The Huffington Post, and BlogHer.
March 6 2013 Jezebel.com Occidental Students Say the College Has a Sexual Assault
Problem
March 7 2013 Oxy Board of Trustee members come to campus in response to the media
attention the college is receiving.
March 8 2013 USA TODAY Education : Universities Criticized for Sexual Assault responses |
USA TODAY College
March 9 2013 Professors Heldman and Dirks request the Daily Crime Log data from March
2008 March 2013 from Campus Safety Director Holly Nieto. Within one business day, the data
is provided as a hard copy for them in the Campus Safety Office.
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March 10 2013 Framing the Occidental Fight for a Better Sexual Assault Policy » Sociological
Images
March 12 2013 Occidental’s Daily Crime Log reflects that 15 rapes and sexual batteries were
reported between March 56 2013 dating back to 2010. It is unclear whether these reports were
retroactively sent to the Campus Safety Office from the Dean of Students Office or if these
reports were made during this time to the Anonymous Reporting Form. Professors Dirks and
Heldman learn that the Dean of Students Office has not been sending sexual assault reports to
the Campus Safety Office, as required by federal Clery guidelines. **The Daily Crime Log is later
altered to reflect that these were anonymous reports.**
March 12 2013 Bitch Magazine: How Not to Handle a College Sexual Assault
March 16 2013 MSNBC Melissa HarrisPerry: Are Elite Universities Participating in Rape
Coverup? Occidental College named alongside Yale and U Mass Amherst.
March 17 2013 LAist.com Occidental Students Protest The Way The College Notifies Them
(Or Doesn't) About Rape
March 19 2013 Salon Fighting Sexual Assault on Campus, College Activists Learn as They
Go
March 19 2013 New York Times Activists at Colleges Network to Fight Sexual Assault
Occidental College is named alongside Yale, U Mass Amherst, and UNC Chapel Hill. The
article directs readers to President Veitch’s “A Letter to the Campus Community,” however the
page changes midday, pushing the original letter down while featuring President Veitch’s latest
Occidental Weekly article “A Letter to the Editor from President Veitch” wherein he announces a
new sexual assault reporting policy that forces survivors (not the College) to make the
determination of whether a perpetrator is an “ongoing or continuing threat,” a violation of the
federal Clery Act.
March 19 2013 The Occidental Weekly : Veitch Reverses Stance on Sexual Assault
Notification
March 19 2013 The Occidental Weekly : A Letter to the Editor from President Veitch
March 19 2013 Faculty Council President Amy Lyford asks faculty to serve as trained
members on hearing boards, a request first made in 2009 in response to the Faculty Hearing
Board recommendations on sexual assault.
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March 19 2013 Professor Dirks and Shelby Radcliffe, CoChairs of the Sexual Assault Task
Force, addresses the Faculty Meeting to introduce the task force and answer faculty members’
questions about sexual assault issues on campus.
March 19 2013 Dean O’Neal Howard tells Professor Dirks that the Dean of Students Office
had not been sharing anonymous crime reports with the Campus Safety Office, but began
sharing reports from the Anonymous Reporting Form with the Campus Safety Office in the first
week of March. Dean O’Neal Howard shares that the 15 rapes and sexual batteries reported in
the Daily Crime Log in early March were collected from the Anonymous Reporting Form.
March 19 2013 Professor Dirks and Shelby Radcliffe, CoChairs of the Sexual Assault Task
Force, email Dean O’Neal Howard to request that the Anonymous Reporting Form be updated
for greater transparency about the difference between firstperson and thirdparty sexual
misconduct reports in the “Person Reporting” question to allow both survivors and/or
perpetrators more clearly report. The form is not updated.
March 20 2013 Slate Occidental College Sexual Assault Case: How the Internet
Revolutionized Campus AntiRape Activism
March 20 2013 President Veitch steps down from the third Sexual Assault Task Force.
March 21 2013 Sexual Assault Task Force holds a Town Hall meeting where students, faculty,
and staff are invited to share their concerns and questions about sexual assault issues on
campus both verbally and on notecards. Additional comments are solicited online at the form
here.
March 22 2013 The Occidental Weekly : Sexual Assault Task Force Holds First Town Hall
Meeting
March 22 2013 Professor Dirks emails Dean O’Neal Howard about the Anonymous Reporting
Form to send an updated link to the Sexual Misconduct Policy as the current link on the form is
dead. The form is not updated.
March 25 2013 Professor Dirks emails Dean O’Neal Howard about the Anonymous Reporting
Form to inform her that sexual assault is misspelled to “assualt.” The form is updated.
March 28 2013 The Occidental Weekly : Trainer Out After Sexual Assaults Complaints /
Athletic Trainer Resigns Following Sexual Misconduct Investigation
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