Office of Civil Rights & Title IX Update from Interim President Galligan

Monday, April 5, 2021; 4:00 p.m.

Dear LSU Community,

When we shared the Husch Blackwell report with you one month ago, I promised that we would take immediate action to implement the recommendations in the report. Since then, we have deployed several measures that are already improving our response to sexual and domestic assault allegations, enhancing our support of survivors, and making our campus a safer place for everyone.

Today, our newly formed Civil Rights & Title IX Office is moving into its new location at 118 Himes Hall, a much more centrally located and easily accessible space for students in need. We have also since posted job advertisements for the Title IX Investigator, Case Manager, and Assistant to the Vice President of Civil Rights & Title IX — all identified as critical needs by Husch Blackwell. We have received many applications for these key positions and will soon begin interviewing candidates.

Additionally, we established a new website that provides help and support to anyone who has been impacted by domestic or sexual violence, pulling together into one place the many resources that are available to our LSU community, from medical and mental health services to the variety of reporting options that survivors can access.

Through our partnership with Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response, or STAR, we are developing enhanced employee training on how to respond to students who disclose dating and/or sexual violence with fairness, dignity, and respect, in accordance with their legal rights. We have also undertaken comprehensive, targeted training and education in the Athletics Department for employees and student-athletes through relationships with STAR, LiveRespect, and A Call to Men, all of whom bring nationally renowned expertise to LSU.

In the very near future, you should expect to mark the following steps: the selection of a search firm to help us identify an outstanding Vice President for Civil Rights & Title IX; the development and implementation of a timeline for resolution of Title IX and sexual assault cases; the commencement of a Task Force on developing standardized sanction guidelines; and the posting of our progress report on all Husch Blackwell recommendations on lsu.edu/titleix-review for public access. Less tangible but still ongoing will be the important work of rebuilding trust and ensuring that our protocols and our people are aligned with survivor needs.

Our work on these and other aspects of the action plan are ongoing as we seek to establish a culture of prevention, awareness, and accountability on our campus. While there is much more work to be done in the months and years ahead, the actions we are taking right now are laying the foundation for a university we can all be proud of — a goal we are working toward together.

I look forward to sharing more with you as we continue to make progress toward a better LSU.

Sincerely,

Thomas C. Galligan, Jr.
LSU Interim President and Professor of Law