UT releases information on 17 staff, faculty sexual misconduct violations

AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas is releasing information on sexual assault, discrimination, misconduct, violence and stalking incidents involving faculty, staff and researchers between November of 2017 to December of 2019.

The release follows a years worth of activism from UT students, and a records request from FOX 7 Austin.

A number of students spent the year conducting sit-ins, protests -- even storming professors classrooms and homes -- calling on UT to terminate professors found guilty of sexual misconduct.

The report released Thursday outlines sexual assault, discrimination, misconduct, violence and stalking incidents involving one research fellow, three faculty and 13 staff members -- between November of 2017 to December of 2019.

“People are going into debt just to take their classes and they’re taking their classes at risk of being sexually harassed. They should be fired they shouldn’t be able to teach students.” one UT student, who asked to remain anonymous told FOX 7 Austin. The student, is part of the group “Fire the Abusers.” The group, took shape, during the protests.

The student says the report is positive, and a step towards transparency -- but leaves her concerned there may be bias in the way the university handles these cases. None, of the three professors involved were fired. She believes they should be.

“We still want them to be fired, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”

The university says there are various consequences, for different offenses -- and that it will not revisit cases where sanctions have already been issued.

The University of Texas issued this statement about the report:

Sexual misconduct violates the values and policies of UT Austin. Every individual who serves our university must feel valued, respected and free to learn and work in a safe environment. ransparency around past violations, which is mandated by the Texas Public Information Act, is an important step toward accountability.
In response to open records requests, the university is releasing summaries from the Office for Inclusion and Equity of all 14 staff and three faculty member violations of the University's Handbook of Operating Procedures 3-3031 Prohibition of Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Sexual Misconduct, Interpersonal Violence, and Stalking from November 2017 to December 2019. The university previously released similar information for the period from 2013 through November 2017, which was also compiled in response to open records requests in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act.
The university has approximately 3,000 teaching faculty members and approximately 24,000 staff members, including student and seasonal employees. The Human Resources department coordinates the disciplinary process for staff members and the provost’s office coordinates the process for tenured and tenure-track faculty members.

— J.B. Bird, Director of Media Relations & Issues Management for the University of Texas at Austin