“I was so disillusioned after, it’s no wonder why nothing happens and it never gets reported.”

When a UI student reports sexual assault or misconduct to the police, it goes through the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction for its investigation.

The UI Department of Public Safety investigates any crime that occurs on campus. Hayley Bruce, UI assistant director of media relations, wrote in an email to the DI that if a person reports an assault on campus and calls the Iowa City police, they will likely be directed to UI police to report because UI police have the jurisdiction to investigate the crime.

“Law enforcement agencies do this in order to make sure the victim/survivor does not have to tell their story multiple times as that process can be traumatizing, and we all want to serve our community in a way that is trauma-informed,” Bruce wrote.

At the UI, the Title IX and Gender Equity Unit — formerly known as the Office of Sexual Misconduct and Resource Center — handles investigations for sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct. The office changed its name this year when it merged with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Before, the unit was under the Division of Student Life.

There are three processes: Process A, Process B, and the Adaptable Resolution, that a formal complaint can follow.

Processes A and B are meant to determine if there has been a UI policy violation, and the adaptable resolution is meant to address harm, UI Title IX coordinator Monique DiCarlo said.

Because the UI receives federal funding, it also has to follow Title IX policy for addressing sexual assault and misconduct.

In higher education institutions, Title IX applies to a variety of areas like recruitment, admissions, and athletics. However, the protocol for sexual assault and harassment policy has caused issues for students who follow through with the reporting process.

When Riley, a UI graduate student, went into their initial meeting with the Title IX and Gender Equity Unit to report alleged sexual harassment, they felt optimistic. Riley ended up leaving the meeting upset and angry because they said they were discouraged from filing a formal complaint of their sexual harassment case.

After encountering uncomfortable experiences that seemed like sexual harassment from a fellow student in their department, Riley said they wanted to voice their concerns.

Interactive by Kelsey Harrell/The Daily Iowan

Riley spoke to a trusted faculty member in the department who put them in contact with the Title IX and Gender Equity Unit. Riley didn’t reach out to the office at first, they said, because they weren’t sure that they wanted to report and didn’t know if the behavior counted as sexual harassment.

A year later, however, Riley contacted the office after learning that the student had made other students in the department uncomfortable.

A meeting was set up between Riley and the Title IX and Gender Equity Unit to figure out if they wanted to file a formal complaint. First, Riley was asked to recount why they wanted to file a formal complaint.

After they explained the interpersonal experience that made them uncomfortable, Riley said that they were “encouraged not to report because the office said there wasn’t enough evidence and didn’t believe a policy violation would be found if filed.”

Riley claimed that they were asked if their decision to pursue an investigation was made to seek revenge against the student. After being asked that question, Riley said they recalled feeling taken aback after hearing that question.

“I just kind of sat there and thought about it for a minute and let the silence hang in the air,” Riley said. “[Wanting to report] wasn’t out of vengeance or anger. I just didn’t want them to do that behavior again.”

Additionally, Riley said they were asked to consider the respondent’s emotions.

“They asked me to consider his feelings and emotions because [the person] was just having a bad day and was mentally unwell and having a difficult time,” Riley said.

DiCarlo said that an alleged behavior has to fall within the policy that is prohibited under section 4.14 of the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Operations Manual. If the allegation doesn’t fall under the prohibited behavior, the formal complaint may be dismissed.

“Something can be hurtful, crude, sexist, and fall outside the policy,” DiCarlo said. “It doesn’t mean that it’s OK, but it does mean we would likely have a different way of addressing that behavior separate from a formal complaint.”

In 2019, 521 reports were made to the Title IX and Gender Equity Office for sexual harassment, misconduct, and violence — 158 for sexual assault, 177 for sexual harassment, 105 for dating/domestic violence, 136 for stalking, and 36 for sexual exploitation/intimidation.

Of the 521 reports, the UI opened investigations into 44 of them. Of those, 21 cases were found to include policy violations; 22 were found to possess “no policy violations;” and one ended with a closed case, meaning the respondent withdrew before a finding was issued or the reporting party requested to cease the investigation.

“I almost wish I had gone in expecting less so I wasn’t let down at the end of it,” Riley said. “It’s a huge let down to tell someone all this unsettling stuff that has happened to you and then get asked if you are telling because you’re mad at them and want vengeance.”

While they were aware of the potential problems of sexual misconduct and the reporting process for it on campus, Riley said it was eye-opening to experience it first-hand.

“It is a completely different experience yourself versus just hearing about it,” they said. “I was so disillusioned after, it’s no wonder why nothing happens and it never gets reported.”