Letter to the Community from Title IX Coordinator Angela Voos

To the Grinnell community,

Today the President’s office received a letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) notifying us that OCR has opened an investigation into a Title IX complaint filed against the College. We understand that OCR will serve as a neutral fact-finder. The opening of the investigation does not involve any determination as to the complaint’s merits.

We welcome this review and will work collaboratively with OCR to ensure that our practices and policies are as effective as possible. Indeed, last spring President Kington asked OCR to provide Grinnell with technical assistance and guidance under Title IX. The President’s request coincided with a Huffington Post article that described student accounts of Grinnell’s response to reports of sexual violence in 2012. The College was precluded from addressing these matters publicly, given federal privacy laws. As President Kington noted in his campus message last March, “as the federal agency charged with conducting thorough and neutral investigations into potential civil rights violations, OCR is uniquely equipped to view all available information and then advise us, on the basis of the full facts, as to whether we complied with the letter and spirit of the law.”

At the time OCR publicly “commend[ed] Grinnell College for its commitment to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn in an environment free from sexual violence.” In the media accounts surrounding the President’s request, the College learned for the first time that six Grinnell students had previously filed a complaint with OCR. OCR subsequently declined to provide us with technical assistance in light of the pending complaint.

I wanted you to hear the news about the investigation directly from the College. OCR’s process is exacting and takes time. We will do everything in our power to resolve the matter promptly and collaboratively. While Grinnell has long been committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination and harassment, in recent years the College has proactively worked to develop and enhance trauma-informed, prompt and equitable College policies and practices that incorporate evolving guidance from OCR and the complex dynamics of issues of sexual violence. Nonetheless, we are committed to ensuring that we are doing everything possible to prevent and respond appropriately to incidents of sexual violence and will continue to seek improvements that tend to the needs of our community. We support the rights of our students to file a civil rights complaint, and we will continue to provide support and care for all of our community members.

As the College’s Title IX Coordinator, I am available to meet with any community member to discuss our policies and procedures, to report a concern about sexual or gender-based harassment and violence, or to provide information about available resources and reporting options on and off campus. Please contact me at voos@grinnell.edu or 641-269-4999. You can also find a full list of policy resources on Grinnell’s Sexual Respect website.

Finally, I want to thank the many students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are working to make Grinnell a safer and better place. Preventing sexual violence is everyone’s job, and Grinnell is fortunate to have such a dedicated community.

Angela Voos
Title IX Coordinator, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Chief of Staff