In late February, Northwestern University professor Laura Kipnis wrote an article detailing the climate on college campuses regarding sexual assault. She wrote that she thought the new sexual assault policies were founded in “paranoia” and not facts.
And for that, and a subsequent tweet about the article, Kipnis is now being investigated for violating Title IX, the law allowing colleges to adjudicate sexual assault — even though she is not being accused of sexual assault.
“Please pause to note that a Title IX charge can now be brought against a professor over a tweet,” Kipnis wrote. “Also that my tweets were apparently being monitored.”
Kipnis, who found it amusing that she was protested after her original article, no longer finds the situation humorous. She walked readers through the process in which she now finds herself. An excerpt:
I wrote back to the Title IX coordinator asking for clarification: When would I learn the specifics of these complaints, which, I pointed out, appeared to violate my academic freedom? And what about my rights — was I entitled to a lawyer? I received a polite response with a link to another website. No, I could not have an attorney present during the investigation, unless I’d been charged with sexual violence. I was, however, allowed to have a ‘support person’ from the university community there, though that person couldn’t speak. I wouldn’t be informed about the substance of the complaints until I met with the investigators.
Apparently the idea was that they’d tell me the charges, and then, while I was collecting my wits, interrogate me about them. The term ‘kangaroo court’ came to mind. I wrote to ask for the charges in writing. The coordinator wrote back thanking me for my thoughtful questions.
What I very much wanted to know, though there was apparently no way of finding it out, was whether this was the first instance of Title IX charges filed over a publication. Was this a test case? From my vantage point, it seemed to pit a federally mandated program against my constitutional rights, though I admit my understanding of those rights was vague.
A week later I heard from the investigators. For reasons I wasn’t privy to, the university had hired an outside law firm, based in another Midwestern city an hour-and-a-half flight away, to conduct the investigation; a team of two lawyers had been appointed, and they wanted to schedule ‘an initial interview’ the following week. They were available to fly in to meet in person — the phrase ‘billable hours’ came to mind — or we could videoconference. The email contained more links to more Title IX websites, each of which contained more links. I had the feeling that clicking on any of them would propel me down an informational rabbit hole where I’d learn nothing yet not re-emerge for days.
What she’s been subjected to is fascinating, and you should go read it here.
