Students File Federal Complaint Against University of California Santa Barbara

Six current and former University of California Santa Barbara students have filed a federal complaint against the university claiming the administration mishandled their sexual assault cases.

According to the Daily Nexus, the school paper, the students say they were discouraged from reporting sexual assaults.

The plaintiffs say the school did not take appropriate action against students who admitted to the assaults.

The complaint also accuses the administration of creating a hostile environment by allowing the alleged attackers to stay in the same classes as their victims.

Thee complaints could result in an investigation and fines for the campus.

UCSB released the following statement: “While federal and state law prohibits us from discussing specific cases, the university takes our students’ reports of sexual assault extremely seriously. We offer numerous counseling, support and advocacy resources for survivors, and we have a comprehensive adjudication process. We review our procedures regularly to ensure that we are using best practices and are in alignment with all University of California, state and federal requirements. We have extensive programs aimed at education, awareness, and prevention and are fully participating in a UC-wide task force whose goal is to make UC the national leader in combating sexual violence.”