A complaint against the University singling out Project Saferide has been filed with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) — but details about the complaint and who filed it are under lock and key.
The University received a letter written March 23 by Nicholas Rock, the OCR investigator handling the case. The letter said a complaint had been filed alleging gender discrimination by Saferide because only females are allowed to participate in and take advantage of the program. Saferide is recognized by the ASUO, which means it receives funding from student incidental fees.
But the University administration said that’s all it knows.
“We know almost nothing, but we’re trying to find out,” said Anne Leavitt, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at the University. “We’re still out of the loop.”
Roger Murphy, U.S. Department of Education OCR spokesman, said the complaint was filed Jan. 31. In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1972, however, the name of the person or persons who filed the complaint will never be released.
The actual wording of the complaint has not been revealed to the administration, Leavitt said, which makes it hard for the University to respond.
University General Counsel Melinda Grier said the administration had received a phone call from Rock, introducing himself and saying that there was an investigation underway. Rock said he would be contacting the University more as the investigation continues, she said.
Grier said the administration will cooperate fully — as it always does in a situation such as this — and provide the investigators with all the information they need.
Until then, Leavitt said, the administration and the others who would be involved in the action, including the ASUO and the Office of Affirmative Action, will remain in the dark.
“It’s going to be a very interesting conversation, but I don’t know yet how it’s going to unfold,” Leavitt said.
Grier pointed out that any movements made now are “really preliminary,” and that while an outcome is possible within a few months, it may not arrive for up to a year.
“It’s so early right now that it’s really hard at this point to have a sense at what it’s going to be looking at,” Grier said.
The way such complaint investigations typically play out, Murphy said, is that the involved parties reach a resolution. In extreme cases in which the sides are unable to come to an agreement, steps can be taken to stop federal funding to the school. But Murphy emphasized that hardly ever happens.
“That’s a very extreme and a very rare case,” Murphy said. “Very rare.”