Penn State is among 55 universities and colleges being investigated for possible violations of federal laws over its handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints, according to a list released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education in what it called a move for transparency.
The department told the Centre Daily Times in January its Office of Civil Rights was investigating Penn State to determine whether the university complied with Title IX, a law that protects people from sex discrimination, by responding “immediately and appropriately” to complaints.
What caught the department’s attention at Penn State was the increase in the number of sex offenses reported to campus authorities, which surged after the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse sandal.