Report by Justice Department faults Wheaton College for handling of sexual assaults
An investigation by the Department of Justice found that Wheaton College failed to respond to a report of a student’s rape by a fellow student and did not do enough to stop the alleged rapist from further contacting the victim, The Boston Globe reports. Federal attorneys detailed the investigation’s findings in a 19-page letter, sent to the liberal arts school in Norton.The probe began in 2015 after a Wheaton student filed a complaint with the Justice Department, saying the college failed to help her pursue action against her alleged rapist, according to the Globe.“Again and again it has kind of been backlash against me from Wheaton, rather than against him,” the student, who transferred to a school in another state, told the Globe.In a different situation, the federal attorneys found that in 2014, the school failed to respond to a student’s report of rape by another student, according to the Globe. “The Dean of Students’ Office and two college administrators were aware of the report but did nothing to respond to or follow up with the complainant,” the report said.The investigation found five areas where the university fell short of its legal obligations. Wheaton spokesman Michael Graca told the Globe the school is finalizing an agreement with the Justice Department for how it will reform its handling of sexual assault complaints. Read the full Globe report here.
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