Sexual Assault
Harvard Title IX Coordinator Apologizes for Statement on Comaroff Lawsuit
Harvard Title IX Coordinator Nicole M. Merhill apologized for a statement she made last week, writing that it “has contributed to further concerns around trust.”
Hundreds Rally Against Harvard’s Handling Comaroff Sexual Harassment Claims
Students rallied in support of sexual harassment survivors in the wake of a lawsuit charging that Harvard mishandled sexual misconduct allegations against professor John L. Comaroff.
At Anita Hill Book Talk, Former Harvard College Dean Says She Regrets Signing Comaroff Letter
Former Harvard College Dean Evelynn M. Hammonds said at an event Thursday she regrets initially signing onto a letter that questioned the results of misconduct investigations into professor John L. Comaroff, who is accused of sexual harassment.
Harvard is Embroiled in Another Sexual Misconduct Controversy. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Harvard is reeling this week in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against a powerful professor and sweeping claims about the failures of its Title IX processes. Here's what you need to know.
35 Harvard Professors Retract Support for Letter Questioning Results of Comaroff Investigations
Almost all of the Harvard professors who signed onto an open letter last week that questioned the results of misconduct investigations into professor John L. Comaroff have retracted their support for the message.
Lawsuit Alleges Harvard Ignored Sexual Harassment Complaints Against Prof. John Comaroff for Years
Three graduate students filed a lawsuit against Harvard on Tuesday alleging the school ignored years of sexual harassment and retaliation by professor John L. Comaroff, who was placed on unpaid leave last month.
Anthropology Department Committee Formed Following Sexual Harassment Allegations Issues Final Report
A committee examining the climate within Harvard’s Anthropology department recommended in a final report this month that the department establish a code of conduct, allow access to third-party arbitration in misconduct investigations, and conduct an external review when “powerful” figures in the department commit sexual misconduct.
‘We Never Endorsed This’: Student Advocates Question Harvard’s Decision to Merge Title IX and OSAPR Offices
Anti-sexual assault student activists expressed concerns about the process Harvard used in deciding to merge its Title IX Office and the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response.
Harvard To Merge Title IX and OSAPR Offices, Forming Office for Gender Equity
Harvard will dissolve the University’s Title IX Office and the Office for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and move its sexual harassment and assault resources under one entity — the Office for Gender Equity — which will be supervised by the central administration.
Behind Six-Year Harvard Alumni Push, Every Voice Bill Passes to Boost Campus Sexual Assault Prevention
A bill spearheaded by student organizers, including Harvard alumni, to establish protections for survivors of sexual harassment at colleges and universities in Massachusetts beyond existing provisions in Title IX was signed into law by Governor Charlie D. Baker ’79 last month.
Women Harassed by Domínguez Say Harvard’s Investigatory Procedures Remain Insufficient
Two women who were victims of sexual misconduct by former Government professor Jorge I. Domínguez criticized the findings of an external review into Domínguez’s misconduct and urged the University to take stronger measures to address sexual harassment.
‘The Achilles Heel of Title IX’
Students pursuing complaints of sexual misconduct at institutions other than their own said they faced both logistical and psychological hurdles while seeking restitution through Title IX offices. Experts said such inter-institutional cases can fall through the cracks of Title IX legislation.
Student Activists Demand Harvard Enact Amnesty Policy for Reporters of Sexual Violence
Anti-sexual assault advocacy student-group Our Harvard Can Do Better called on University officials in a Tuesday email to exempt on-campus students who report sexual violence from penalties associated with violating COVID-19 health guidelines.
Dominguez, Urton, Comaroff Accusers Request Seats on New FAS Title IX Committee
Twelve women who have accused Harvard faculty of sexual harassment or misconduct penned a letter to Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay Friday requesting representation on a new committee being formed to review the FAS’s interim sexual harassment policy.
OSAPR Cancels Some Programs, Transitions Others Online
The Office of Sexual Prevention and Response cancelled several events previously planned for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, shifted counseling online, and developed new resources in order to adapt to the current situation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
HLS Affiliates on Reinhardt
Harvard Law School affiliates speak out about their affiliations with late Judge Stephen R. Reinhardt.
Dominguez Investigation Ends
Claudine Gay announced in May that she has stripped former Government professor Jorge I. Dominguez of his emeritus status — marking the conclusion of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct levied against him.
Harvard Provost Garber ‘Deeply Disappointed’ With AAU Survey Results
University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 said in an interview Thursday he is “deeply disappointed” by the lack of progress the University has made in combating sexual misconduct after a recent climate survey found Harvard’s incident rate remained unchanged from four years ago.
Harvard and Peer Institutions Report Similar Rates of Sexual Misconduct
A national sexual misconduct climate survey administered to universities across the country earlier this year revealed that most schools did not see a significant change in the prevalence of sexual assault compared with the incident rates four years ago.
OSAPR and Harvard College to Pilot Bystander Training, Khurana Says
Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said Friday he will work with the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response to pilot new forms of bystander training after survey results showed rates of sexual misconduct among undergraduates have remained stagnant over the past several years.
Harvard Administrators Discuss Sexual Misconduct Survey Results at Town Hall
More than 50 Harvard affiliates gathered in the Science Center Thursday evening at a town hall to discuss the results of a campus-wide sexual misconduct climate survey that found incidences of sexual misconduct have remained largely unchanged over the past four years.
Prevalence of Sexual Misconduct at Harvard Remains Unchanged From Four Years Ago, AAU Survey Finds
Roughly 33 percent of undergraduate women surveyed this year reported that they had experienced some form of nonconsensual sexual contact. In 2015, 31 percent of senior undergraduate women reported experiencing some form of sexual assault.
OSAPR Hosts Day-Long Conference on Addressing Gender-Based Violence
Roughly 100 Harvard affiliates participated in roundtable discussions at the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response’s day-long conference on gender-based violence Friday.
As Classes Start Up, Title IX Training Completion Rate Nears 100 Percent
Ninety-nine percent of Harvard College students have now completed this year’s edition of the school’s annual Title IX training module. The 2019-2020 academic year marks the second time that course enrollment has been tied to completion of the training module.