AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a letter to the University of Texas community on Thursday afternoon, UT President Greg Fenves announced the university will hire a team of outside experts to evaluate the way the school handles sexual misconduct allegations.
In the letter, Fenves points to Senate Bill 212, which was passed by Texas lawmakers earlier this year. That bill increases the requirements for universities to report incidents of sexual misconduct.
Fenves writes:
“These new reporting requirements, along with the calls for action from our students, provide us with an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at how UT handles and communicates about misconduct allegations.”
Fenves says that UT hopes to finalize its agreement with the team in the coming weeks. Additionally, he says that the school will assemble a working group of faculty/staff members and students to provide input.
The university will also hire three new investigators in its Office for Inclusion and Equity (OIE), which investigates complaints against faculty and staff members.
Fenves concludes the letter by saying:
“The University of Texas at Austin is committed to protecting the safety of all students and community members. When we receive allegations of misconduct, investigators review all the information they receive, and the university strives for an equitable outcome that respects due process and the safety of our community. We look forward to working together to address these significant issues.”
