Baylor’s Title IX Troubles: Federal Report Reveals Lingering Issues Despite Progress
Baylor University is back in the spotlight, and not for reasons it would want. A federal report released Monday by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education has revealed that the university continues to face challenges in its handling of sexual harassment complaints, particularly those involving athletes. While the report acknowledges improvements since the peak of Baylor’s scandal in 2016, it also highlights significant shortcomings that persisted from 2014 to 2020.
The investigation, which spanned eight years, was triggered by a complaint filed in September 2016 by Baylor’s former Title IX coordinator, Patty Crawford. The findings, obtained by ESPN, paint a complex picture of progress marred by ongoing issues. According to the report, Baylor’s Title IX process still suffered from delays, conflicts of interest, and a lack of equitable treatment for all parties involved.
OCR’s Findings: Progress, But Problems Persist
The OCR report states, “While OCR recognizes that the University has made significant strides in improving its Title IX process, OCR’s investigation revealed violations of Title IX as well as Title IX compliance concerns.” One of the most glaring issues was the failure to promptly report sexual harassment cases to the Title IX Coordinator, which hindered the university’s ability to provide a “prompt and equitable response as required by Title IX.”
Another major concern was the involvement of Baylor’s Athletics Department in the investigative process for athletes. The report noted that this created a conflict of interest, undermining the legitimacy of some Title IX investigations. Baylor responded to the report with a statement emphasizing that the findings largely reflect past issues, stating, “With two limited exceptions, OCR’s findings are not reflective of Baylor’s current Title IX program, but instead represent a backwards look at the time frame between the 2014-2015 and 2019-2020 academic years.”
A History of Failures
The federal report builds on the findings of an internal review conducted in 2016 by the law firm Pepper Hamilton. That review exposed systemic failures in how Baylor handled sexual assault reports, particularly those involving athletes. The fallout was swift and severe: head football coach Art Briles was fired, athletic director Ian McCaw was suspended, and university president Ken Starr was demoted. Both McCaw and Starr eventually left the university, and Starr passed away in 2022.
Despite promises to improve, the OCR report reveals that Baylor’s progress was uneven. From January 2017 to September 2020, nearly half of the 49 complaints filed against athletes were not investigated. Instead, they were closed because the complainants declined to proceed with the full Title IX process. Only three complaints against athletes during this period were fully investigated. Across all 1,578 sexual harassment complaints filed during the same timeframe, just 6% were fully investigated, while 34% were closed as “declined process.”
Key Cases Highlighted in the Report
The report sheds light on several troubling cases:
- In February 2019, a woman reported being sexually assaulted by an athlete but hesitated to come forward, fearing the university would favor the athlete, who was “at the peak of his career.” She ultimately declined to proceed, even after learning in September 2019 that another Title IX report had been filed against the same athlete.
- In November 2017, the Athletics Department reportedly engaged in discussions with accused football players before reporting an alleged sexual assault to the Title IX office. Then-head coach Matt Rhule stated at the time, “I don’t know much about the case, and I think that’s really a good thing, because I probably really shouldn’t know much about it as the football coach.” Baylor officials later claimed the case was turned over to the Title IX office “within a matter of hours.”
Ultimately, Baylor’s Title IX investigators found three football players responsible for violating the school’s sexual misconduct policies, leading to their expulsion. However, the report criticized the university for “significant unexplained delays” in handling complaints. For example, it took 351 days to resolve complaints against three of the accused students and 447 days for the fourth.
Looking Ahead: Baylor’s Commitment to Change
The OCR report marks the final major adjudication of the Baylor scandal, which has already resulted in lawsuits, NCAA action, and a $462,000 fine from the Department of Education in 2020 for failing to disclose assault reports under the Jeanne Clery Act. In response to the latest findings, Baylor has agreed to a five-page resolution agreement outlining specific improvements to its Title IX process. The university will report back on its progress in 2025 and 2026.
Among the agreed-upon changes, Baylor’s Title IX coordinator will now review all complaints of sexual harassment and assault within 30 days to ensure they are processed in a “timely and equitable way.” While these steps signal a commitment to reform, the road ahead remains challenging for a university still grappling with the fallout of its past failures.
For Patty Crawford, the findings are a vindication of her long-standing concerns. “This report confirms what I have been saying for years — Baylor University failed to comply with Title IX, jeopardizing the safety and rights of students, and retaliated against me for my efforts to do my job in ensuring compliance,” she wrote in a statement accompanying the report.
As Baylor works to rebuild trust and accountability, the question remains: will these changes be enough to ensure a safer, more equitable environment for all students?
Originally Written by: Paula Lavigne
