It’s been over four years since Utah State University settled with the Justice Department over the university’s mishandling of sexual assault cases on campus. However, oversight from federal officials of the Cache Valley-area university will remain longer than initially anticipated.
In an email to The Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Public Radio on Wednesday, a Utah State spokesperson confirmed the university is still working with the department beyond the dates outlined in the initial February 2020 settlement.
“USU’s agreement with the DOJ was extended in July 2020, due to the impacts of COVID and the release of significant amendments to the Title IX regulations,” said USU marketing and communications Associate Vice President Amanda DeRito in an email. “USU is currently working with the DOJ under this extension and anticipates an additional extension to ensure USU’s prevention and response programs are fully implemented in a durable and lasting way.”
It’s not immediately clear when federal officials might end its oversight of Utah State.
Initially, the Justice Department planned to monitor the university through the 2022-2023 academic year, and “will not terminate until at least 60 days after the Department has received all reporting related to the 2022-2023 school year,” according to the initial settlement.
And then, during the first summer of the pandemic, university and federal officials agreed to extend the oversight — and on Utah State’s behalf.
“The Department recognizes that, despite the University’s good faith efforts, circumstances outside of its control may render USU unable to meet some of the deadlines set forth in the Settlement Agreement. As a result, USU has requested several time extensions,” the official wrote. “We appreciate the University’s continued communication about its progress toward meeting its obligations.”
That July 2020 extension also said USU would be required to submit a monitoring report as late as January 31, 2024, which stretched the timeline of the initial agreement by one semester.
