OCR Complaint Notification

Message from the President
July 6, 2016

Dear LMU Community:

I am writing to inform you that we were recently notified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that LMU is being investigated regarding its handling of a sexual assault case involving an incident that occurred off campus in 2014.

As of June 27, 2016, OCR has 247 active investigations underway at 195 colleges and universities, including 20 California colleges and universities and eight Jesuit universities. We strongly believe that LMU acted in accordance with Title IX in the handling of this matter, and we will cooperate with the OCR’s investigation. We maintain that we exceeded our legal obligations, reflected our mission and values, and sought justice by our actions. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Title IX Investigation Tracker contains further information, including Frequently Asked Questions, about this process.

LMU handles sexual assault cases expeditiously, thoroughly, and proactively. Student safety is one of our top priorities, and we do not tolerate sexual and interpersonal misconduct. The university has developed an infrastructure of resources to investigate, adjudicate, and care for our students when incidents are reported within each of our departments of Public Safety, Student Affairs Dean’s Office, Judicial Affairs, Student Psychological Services, and Human Resources. Together with our innovative programs such as LMU CARES, we are a recognized national leader in fostering healthy relationships within our student community.

I am grateful to you, LMU’s dedicated faculty, student development professionals, and staff for continuing the transformative work you do with our students. That is where our focus will remain.

With sincere appreciation and thanks,

Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President