In the midst of a federal investigation into alleged mishandling of Title IX cases within the University, ASU President Michael Crow announced Thursday he had appointed a full-time Title IX coordinator.
In an email sent to students, Crow said the appointee, Jodi Preudhomme, will be in charge of overseeing all claims of sexual harassment or misconduct, as well as sex-based discrimination or civil rights violations.
“She is charged with ensuring that the process by which such allegations are weighed is timely and thorough and respects the rights of all parties,” Crow said in the email. “She will review any sanctions imposed and propose further remedies where necessary to address sexual harassment and eliminate any hostile environment.”
Title IX, which was passed in 1972, guarantees the civil right against sex-based discrimination in education. This applies to sports programs, general classwork, classes offered and the general learning environment, including conduct on university campuses. The blanket of Title IX also includes protection against sexual misconduct, including violence and harassment.
Preudhomme has been legal counsel to the University in the past, and has been involved in recent civil cases involving the University, according to court records.
In a statement, Preudhomme said the new appointment and recent steps by the University is good progress for keeping students safe at school.
“There is no mission more important in higher education than protecting members of our university community,” Preudhomme said in a statement.
The appointment comes roughly seven months after Crow established a task force to look into claims of sexual misconduct on campus. The task force has targeted different issues on campus, including cases of sexual assault, as well as stories of sexual relationships between students and professors.
The University government has since decided to change its policy about student relationships with faculty in positions of power.
However, some critical of the administration say the appointment comes late in the game, and a university should be expected to have a Title IX coordinator.
Jasmine Lester, the founder of Sun Devils Against Sexual Assault, has been petitioning ASU for a specialist handling Title IX violations for years.
“For a school ASU's size and with ASU's history of Title IX violations, we should have had a full-time Title IX Coordinator years ago,” Lester said. “There should be an entire office dedicated to Title IX enforcement and ensuring ASU administrators fulfill their federal responsibilities.”
Lester also said she was skeptical about Preudhomme’s past in representing ASU as legal counsel, including involvement in cases that are now being investigated.
“Jodi Preudhomme served on ASU's general counsel as a lawyer defending ASU during three public Title IX lawsuits (in 2009, 2010 and 2014) and both federal Title IX complaints currently under investigation by the Department of Education,” Lester said.
While the attention and actions have been steps in the right direction, a change in approach from administration will be the key to keeping students safer, Lester said.
“The task force, the new trainings, bystander intervention, consent education, updated policies — none of those things will make a difference without an administration that prioritizes the safety of students over the reputation of the University,” Lester said.
Reach the reporter at cvanek@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek.
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