Oregon Senator Ron Wyden Writes UO Asking For Answers on Handling of Title IX Investigation
Oregon senator Ron Wyden wrote to the University of Oregon asking for answers on handling of Title IX investigations, in response to investigative reporting from Sports Illustrated and news from the Daily Emerald.
The letter came in response to a story from SI about the university's handling of rape allegations against basketball player Kavell Bigby-Williams, which found that Oregon violated its obligations under the law and acted at odds with the school’s own policies.
Wyden stated that he had an obligation to see where federal, state, local and institutional policies were falling short. He asked the university's president, Michael Schill, a series of questions regarding the specific case and the handling of Title IX in general.
Wyden wants to know how Oregon "determines whether information related to a potential student sexual misconduct violation is deemed 'insufficient' or 'sufficient' to warrant notifying the director of student conduct and community standards." He also asked what actions the university staff took in response to allegations involving Bigby-Williams.
Bigby-Williams was a transfer student at Oregon from Gillette College when he returned back to Gillette for a week in September 2016. Then on Sept. 26, 2016, the University of Oregon Police Department received a call from Northern Wyoming Community College District police. The NWCCD was investigating Bigby-Williams for sexual assault in the first degree.
He went on to play the entire season despite being under investigation. According to an athletic department spokesman, coach Dana Altman was aware that police were trying to get in touch with Bigby-Williams, but he wasn't sure about what.
