BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Department of Education has opened two sexual violence investigations at Indiana University in Bloomington since 2014 – and now a third could be opened.
The newest Title IX complaint was filed Tuesday by the advocacy group "End Rape on Campus."
The complaint accuses IU of mishandling a sexual assault investigation.
The group says the complaint they filed surrounds Jason Casares, the director of student ethics who resigned in late February – nearly three months after a woman alleged he sexually assaulted her at a conference in Texas.
MORE | IU ethics director facing sex assault allegations resigns
After the accuser in the latest case learned of the allegations against Casares, she tried to appeal a finding that her alleged assailant was found not responsible.
According to the advocacy group, the victim cited a conflict of interest by Casares, but the university said it would not review the case because she missed a deadline for an appeal.
IU says all sexual misconduct hearings chaired by IU Bloomington's former director of student ethics during the current academic year are being reviewed by an independent Title IX authority. The school also released the following statement Tuesday:
Indiana University is aware of a Title IX complaint filed with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, alleging mishandling of a sexual assault investigation at the university’s Bloomington campus.
While the university cannot comment on the specifics of an individual case due to the privacy rights afforded to all parties in an investigation, it does dispute a number of the assertions made in the media as they relate to this investigation.
Indiana University has a comprehensive Sexual Misconduct Policy and a robust set of practices, including the prompt provision of interim measures to complainants that are consistent with guidelines set forth by the Office of Civil Rights. The policy and practices have been put in place to ensure that all parties in this type of investigations are treated fairly and with respect. The university believes those practices were followed in this case.
As the university has previously stated, all sexual misconduct hearings chaired by IU Bloomington’s former director of student ethics during the current academic year through his being placed on administrative leave and subsequent resignation are being reviewed by an independent Title IX authority. The case in question is among those being reviewed.
In addition, the university will disclose all information related to this complaint with the OCR as it conducts its investigation and the university welcomes that opportunity.
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