U. of S. Carolina Settles Harassment Case

WASHINGTON – Public institutions of higher education must ensure that their students are not denied equal access to educational opportunities, said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

The University of South Carolina has settled a harassment case with the United States government after an investigation into the university’s policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment.

According to the Justice Department, the university agreed to improve its policies and practices for receiving, investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and harassment.

The settlement requires the university to adopt revised anti-discrimination and harassment policies before the start of the 2011-12 school year and to initiate training during the spring 2012 semester.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.

The enforcement of Title IV is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The settlement provides that the university will train select administrators, faculty and students to lead future trainings on campus, ensuring ongoing compliance with its revised policies.

Thomas E. Perez added, ‘Public institutions must adopt policies and procedures that allow them to identify and respond to allegations of discrimination and harassment in a reasonable, timely and effective manner.’

By entering into this agreement, the University of South Carolina is communicating to students, faculty, administrators, and the public at large that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated on its campus.

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