While the Department of Education has not released specific information about the College's case, Title IX investigations pertain to issues of sex-related discrimination on college campuses.
College spokesperson Justin Anderson said the College was notified of the Title IX investigation on May 28. The College has not received information about a Clery Act complaint, filed on May 22 by students and alumni who claimed that the College under-reports campus crime, including sexual assault and harassment, bullying and hazing.
Although the Department of Education has yet to address this complaint, named complainants said they were pleased that the department is looking into possible Title IX violations.
Nina Rojas '13, a complainant on the Clery Act and a member of Real Talk Dartmouth, said the department 's decision to undertake its own investigation demonstrates the seriousness of campus issues that Real Talk and others brought to the forefront in the spring.
"I think a lot of people think that what they are saying is finally legitimized," Rojas said. "Someone outside of Dartmouth is paying attention."
Rojas said a number of students and alumni involved in the Clery complaint were interested in pursuing a Title IX complaint, but had not yet done so due to the difficulty of filing such a case, especially over the summer.
Anna Winham '14, also a Clery complainant and member of Real Talk, said she was pleased the Department of Education has taken up this investigation.
"I definitely think the investigation will put pressure on the College," she said. "Being in the national spotlight, in order to remain prestigious, Dartmouth will need to make a change."
Named complainants said they were not aware of the Title IX investigation until Bloomberg reoprted the story on Monday.
Recent Clery Act and Title IX complaints at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Southern California took the Department of Education about a month to process. When it first receives a complaint, the Department of Education issues an initial letter to the lead complainant, and a second letter when it decides to pursue a case.
Complainants on Darmtouth's Clery Act file said they received an initial letter confirming the receipt of their complaint, but never received a letter stating that the department would pursue the case.
Students at USC filed a Title IX complaint at the same time as Dartmouth students and alumni filed a Clery Act complaint. The USC complainants received confirmation on June 26, followed by a notice that the department would take up their case on July 19. The complainants announced the Department of Education's decision on July 21, said Tucker Reed, the lead complainant on USC's case.
USC's case includes narratives from 13 named students and three anonymous students, as well as data from a campus survey about sexual assault and Title IX violations. Reed said that two attorneys from the Department of Education were investigating the narratives of three students on the original complaint.
The attorneys estimated the investigation would take about six months or more if the group amended the filing with additional narratives, which Reed said the group plans to do.
Named complainants on Dartmouth's Clery Act file said they hoped the Department of Education review would be "intersectional" and take into account multiple forms of violence on the College's campus.
Danny Valdes '13 said this kind of review is possible with a Title IX investigation, adding that the law has recently broadened its scope.
"Tile IX started with equality in athletics for men and women, and only recently expanded to sexual assault," Valdes said. "There's no reason it can't be expanded to protect the rights of transgender people and gay and lesbian people."
Susy Struble '93, founder of Dartmouth Change, an online petition advocating for the review and growth of sexual assault prevention programs, said she hopes the federal investigation prompts the administration "to move beyond ineffectual mandates and put into place a long term strategy."
"You get what you sow," Struble said. "It's reflective in the high numbers of sexual assault and the harassment that students experience there."
Struble said she became re-engaged with campus life issues after reading allegations made by Andrew Lohse '12 about hazing at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, published in Rolling Stone magazine last year. Her outreach to local alumni turned up similar concerns.
Struble has since connected with students, professors and alumni interested in seeing the College take a firmer stance against sexual assault.
Andrew Hill '93, Struble's college friend, helped her set up the website for the nonprofit Dartmouth Change. He said he has been "disappointed by the College's lack of transparency and overall lack of being proactive" when dealing with sensitive topics like sexual assault.
Hill is also the father of an incoming student.
"As a parent, I'm really interested in where this is going to go," he said. "I hope that it will spur a positive change that gets people to do something."
Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson declined to comment. Health Improvement program team leader Aurora Matzkin and SAAP coordinator Amanda Childress deferred comments to Anderson.
