Office for Civil Rights Ruling In Sonoma State University Campus Rape Case (Docket Number 09-93-2131)

Related Information-

Title IX Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106), PDF

Title IX Legal Manual (U.S. Department of Justice; January 2001) PDF Document

Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance (U.S. Department of Education; January 2001)

OCR Rulings-

Harvard University (April 2003), PDF

Boston University (April 2003)

Case #01-02-2006

Case #01-02-2037

Evergreen State College (April 1995)

Case No. 10922064

Office for Civil Rights Ruling In Sonoma State University Campus Rape Case (Docket Number 09-93-2131)

In 1994 the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in San Francisco found that Sonoma State University "violated Title IX... because: (1) SSU procedures designed for sexual harassment/assault fail to meet the requirements of Title IX; and (2) SSU failed to investigate complaints of sexual harassment/assault promptly and equitably, including six separate complaints alleging sexual assault by the same male student during the Fall 1992 semester." OCR closed the review in 1997 finding SSU in compliance after corrective action had been taken.

Although there have been subsequent changes to the federal guidelines implementing Title IX, as well as additional court rulings, documents from this case are provided here as they continue to be instructive as to how OCR handles cases, as well as to applicable standards. Users, however, should consult the most current Title IX guidance and should not rely upon these documents alone for compliance purposes.

April 29, 1994 Findings Letter (2.3 MB, PDF)
Draft Corrective Action Plan (500 KB, PDF)
Fall 1994 Correspondence From OCR To SSU (500 KB, PDF)
Response To CAP Documentation (900 KB, PDF)
1995 SSU Response To OCR (800 KB, PDF)
1995 OCR Response To SSU (300 KB, PDF)
1997 OCR Letter Closing Review (300 KB, PDF)

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