Federal Authorities Investigating University of Tennessee’s Response to Sexual Assault

July 16, 2015

Rick Nyman,

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The University of Tennessee is being investigated by federal authorities over a complaint about the university’s response to a sexual assault report.

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek told students, faculty and staff Thursday in a letter that the complaint had been filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

Cheek wrote that privacy laws prevent disclosing details of the complaint but promised full cooperation with the investigation. The chancellor also says the university’s interim policy on sexual conduct and relationship violence put into place last August now will be the final policy effective Aug. 19.

As of June 3, the department had 129 open sexual assault cases at 116 schools across the country. Any university found to be in violation of Title IX risks losing federal funding.