KU report calls for new athletics policies on sexual assault

LAWRENCE--The University of Kansas today released a report on athletics department procedures used to handle a student-athlete's complaint about an alleged off-campus sexual assault by two other student-athletes earlier this year. A Lawrence Police Department investigation of the incident is still in progress.

The report by Barbara Ballard, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, found flaws in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics' response to the complaint and found its procedures did not specifically address handling such incidents. Ballard made 12 recommendations to improve departmental procedures and policies, including designating an administrator to whom student-athletes could report sexual assault, harassment or other serious behavior, and designating a university staff member whom coaches could consult for disciplinary decisions.

"I appreciate Dr. Ballard's thorough and direct report," Chancellor Robert Hemenway said. "I support her recommendations. My hope is that, as a result of this review, we have learned from an unfortunate event and that everyone better understands the seriousness of such incidents and how to deal with them."

Athletics director Bob Frederick said he was "grateful for the recommendations which Dr. Ballard has developed for the athletics department. It is our intention to implement all of them as quickly as possible."

Frederick said he would designate Amy Perko, associate athletics director and the department's senior female administrator, as the person to whom student-athletes should report incidents. A proposed Student-Athlete Code of Conduct will be presented to coaches, student-athletes and the KU Athletics Corporation during the next four weeks.

The report by Ballard and Frederick's statement of actions the athletics department will take in response to the report are available online.

Ballard, an expert in sexual assault issues who directed KU's Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center for 18 years before becoming associate vice chancellor, began her review in May. She interviewed 36 individuals, and reviewed university and athletics department documents and guidelines regarding the handling of sexual assault and other violence against women. She also surveyed members of the department's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group of 28 students representing all sports.

Ballard concluded in the report that the athletics department faced a general perception that reports of sexual assault did not result in disciplinary action.

"The university community needs assurances that the athletics department has policies in place and will not hesitate to respond to complaints and enforce its policies," she wrote.

Ballard commended the department for requesting the report and for cooperating fully.

"Their willingness to allow complete access to coaches, administrative personnel, support staff and the Student-Athlete Advisory Board set the stage for a thorough and informative review," Ballard said in the report.

Other findings:

The department had policies and procedures in place, but they did not specifically address sexual assault or how to respond effectively to allegations of off-campus sexual assault or violence against women.
Many of those who handled the incident were trying their best, but they lacked the supervision, direction and consultation to be successful.
Information about the incident did not go up the departmental chain of command in a timely manner, and long periods of time passed when no action was taken and no one communicated with the student-athlete who reported the incident.
Officials failed to connect the student-athlete to counseling or other available services in a timely manner.
Coaches were unaware of the scope of services available outside of the department to assist with problems.
Student-athletes are most likely to turn to their coaches for help when facing a personal issue or crisis. Among Ballard's recommendations were for the department to
use the university Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for handling on-campus incidents. The code defines expectations of conduct as well as discipline for violations. Because the code does not cover off-campus violations, the department should continue developing, with the university Office of the General Counsel, a code of conduct to address off-campus incidents. The university code is available online at http://www.ku.edu/cwis/units/safacts/rights99.html.
establish protocols and a policy manual that state expectations for behavior and that ensure timely notification of the director of athletics and other key administrators when a serious incident occurs.
make policies known to staff and student-athletes.
investigate every complaint in a timely matter.
communicate clearly and regularly the expectations that student-athletes show mutual respect and treat each other with dignity.
ensure that student-athletes, administrators, staff and especially head coaches are fully informed about student support services, particularly those for students in crisis.
designate a female administrator to whom student-athletes would report sexual assault, sexual harassment or other serious behavior.
appoint a consultant to provide unbiased guidance to coaches and their supervisors when they are weighing serious disciplinary decisions.
engage the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee more actively in the discussion of student-athlete issues and concerns.

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