It took the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, on average, 1,469 days to complete campus sexual assault investigations in 2014, according to data released Tuesday by three Senate Democrats. The average time it took to resolve a complaint in 2009 was 379 days.
This past winter, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Barbara Boxer and Tim Kaine wrote to the department requesting more information on how the Office for Civil Rights investigates complaints that colleges have mishandled cases of campus sexual assault. The office is currently investigating more than 100 colleges over allegations that they failed to fairly investigate and adjudicate cases of sexual violence as they are required under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
In a reply sent to the senators in April, the department said that a shortage of staff and a massive increase in the number of complaints -- spurred by the federal government's increased focus on the issue -- has left the office scrambling to complete an ever-increasing caseload with far fewer resources.
The senators said the duration of these investigations illustrates why Congress should increase the office's funding.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/06/ocr-letter-says-completed-title-ix-investigations-2014-lasted-more-1400-days