Baylor enhances Title IX office, counseling center and public safety

WACO—As part of Baylor University’s continuing effort to prevent sexual violence and improve its response when interpersonal violence occurs, the university will increase Title IX staff and resources, expand its counseling center and enhance public safety, Baylor officials announced March 22.

Enhance Title IX

Improvements to the Title IX office include immediate funding for additional full-time staff dedicated to prevention education and training, Title IX complaint investigation and coordination of administrative needs. Additionally, Baylor will enhance the office’s case management systems with additional technology and resources to help connect students to support services and improve the coordination of information among Title IX staff.

Title IX is the law that states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Baylor hired a full-time Title IX coordinator in November 2014.

Response to outcry

On Feb. 2, ESPN televised an “Outside the Lines” report about five women who asserted Tevin Elliott, at the time a defensive end on the Baylor football team, sexually assaulted them in incidents from October 2009 to April 2012. Two years ago, Elliott was convicted of two counts of sexual assault. But ESPN asserted Baylor officials failed to investigate adequately the allegations of sexual violence, and news media outlets around the country picked up the ESPN report.

Baylor students, faculty and staff gathered in front of President Ken Starr’s home for a candlelight prayer vigil for victims of sexual violence. (Photo / Robert Rogers / Baylor Marketing & Communications)Less than a week later, about 250 Baylor students, faculty and staff gathered on the lawn of the president’s home for a candlelight vigil and then met in the chapel at Truett Theological Seminary to pray for victims of sexual violence. 

More than 1,700 people signed “An Open Letter on Responses to Sexual Assault at Baylor University,” calling on the university to take specific action. 

Regents take action

The improvements announced March 22 are part of a $5 million commitment from Baylor’s board of regents. In addition, Baylor plans establish an executive-level task force to act upon recommendations resulting from an ongoing review by the Pepper Hamilton law firm.

“We feel a deeply personal responsibility to our students to evaluate and improve continuously our educational efforts, processes and support resources around the response to interpersonal violence,” President Ken Starr said.

“I have called upon and worked closely with university leadership and the Baylor board of regents to identify and operationalize improvements focused on our commitment to care for the needs of students and ensure their safety.”

Improvement to counseling center and policing

So far, Baylor has dedicated about $900,000 to counseling center enhancements, including adding licensed counselors from the local community to provide an immediate increase in appointment availability; increasing staffing capacity and protocols to provide students who have experienced interpersonal violence with assistance in a timely manner; establishing weekly sexual assault survivor support programs; and expanding training for all counseling center staff to include the latest information about the treatment of individuals who have experienced trauma.

Baylor’s police department also will pursue accreditation by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The accreditation process will guide the department as it reviews and implements best practices in policing measures that improve campus safety and security.

To strengthen coordination and broaden security coverage, campus building security officers who have been distributed across campus will be consolidated into and supervised by the Baylor University Police Department. Baylor police also will increase Thursday, Friday and Saturday patrols in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus to monitor and provide visible support for student safety in off-campus areas.

Respond to recommendations from review

Starr will work with Richard Willis, chair of the Baylor board of regents, to establish a multi-disciplinary task force to act promptly upon the recommendations resulting from Pepper Hamilton’s review. Last fall, Baylor’s regents retained the Philadelphia firm to conduct a comprehensive review of the university’s response to reports of interpersonal violence under Title IX.

“As we await the results of the Pepper Hamilton review, we will continue to address areas where improvements will lead to a safer campus culture,” Starr said. “Our mission calls upon us to prepare leaders and servants for the entire world within a caring Christian community. We will continue diligently to pursue a supportive environment where care for one another is paramount in the pursuit of that mission.”