“Demand to hold SBU accountable. Title IX discrimination has become the norm on campus. Students are often left in the dark and silenced.”
This is one of many student messages that can be found on posters throughout Stony Brook University’s expansive campus. They call on students to share their experiences in a survey about the University’s Title IX office.
The seven students behind the survey met this semester in a class called “Democracy and Justice for All.” They were assigned to address an issue on campus — they decided on Title IX.
“We hope that our initiative will change how reports and the website are handled, along with policies,” freshman Zubair Kabir, one of the students on the project, said in an email to The Statesman. “Students should feel as though they are safe in classrooms, dorms, and on campus as a whole.”
Kabir runs the Instagram and TikTok accounts @hold.sbu.accountable as part of the campaign. Stony Brook caught notice of the posts and sent a direct message to the student-run account stating, “We were able to see that site visitors were able to access an old, unmaintained version of our Title IX page.”
The group is set to meet with administrators in early May to address their concerns, including the outdated website and lack of clarity surrounding the reporting process.
“I don’t believe Title IX at Stony is a complete waste, but there’s room for improvement,” Kabir said in the email. “And when the safety of students is in question, it’s important to not brush it under the rug.”
One student who filed a Title IX report in the fall 2020 semester had no complaints regarding her experience. But, as the former president of a sorority, she questions whether or not students view the Title IX office as an effective resource for their concerns. She knows members of her own sorority were hesitant to file reports after alleged incidents with fraternities, concerned they would not receive the help they were seeking.
“It seems like they are reporting these instances and nothing happens,” she said. “Granted, I don’t know. We’re not behind the doors.”
But what students think is happening behind those doors is ultimately what matters. If there is a negative view of the Title IX office, students may be less likely to file official reports.
In 2014, the University’s handling of sexual violence incidents was investigated by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, along with 75 other institutions. In 2018, The Statesman found that few Title IX incidents resulted in any action against the accused.
Now, Stony Brook has five open Title IX cases. Of these, two incidents were filed in 2017 and three in 2022. The five reports are two sexual harassment cases, denial of benefits, retaliation and “other.”
Christine Szaraz, survivor advocate and assistant director of the Center for Prevention and Outreach, said she has never seen an administration as communicative about Title IX issues as Maurie McInnis’ staff. From previous administrations, there were “crickets.”
After 15 years at Stony Brook, Szaraz says “The idea that we all have a role to play absolutely evolved here.”
The numbers
Title IX refers to the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education programs or activities receiving federal funding. As part of this, universities and colleges must have procedures in place for sexual harassment claims.
The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to record their crime statistics, including sexual misconduct. Every year, Stony Brook’s Title IX office releases a sexual misconduct progress report that tracks the total number of reports filed in the past three years. It also breaks down that number by the type of allegation made.
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