Feds will look at response to rape allegations in Missoula investigation

KPAX TV photo by Irina Cates(MISSOULA)- The U.S. Attorney behind a new investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving University of Montana students says the probe is a civil not criminal effort, focusing not on the number of incidents, but the local response to those cases. 

The Department of Justice announced details of the special investigation in a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Missoula. The investigation stems from complaints of sexual assault both on campus, and off campus in the past several months. Those allegations have only resulted in one criminal case against a UM football player, but have continued to rock the campus community with a series of developments since last winter. 

KPAX TV reports  DOJ will be reviewing policies at UM, the Missoula County Attorney's Office and the Missoula Police Department. Thomas Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division told reporters the goal of the investigation is to determine if a problem exists and find ways to develop "community solutions" as needed. 

The feds say they began looking into the rape reports last fall, claiming there have been 80-alleged rapes in Missoula over the past three years plus an additional 11-cases involving UM students over the past year and a half. 

Formal investigation still pending on UM harassment complaint

(MISSOULA)- The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has yet to start a formal investigation into a harassment complaint filed more than 4-months ago against the University of Montana and several of its key administrators. 

KPAX TV reported this week that the complaint had been filed in early January against recently-fired Head Football Coach Robin Pflugrad and Athletic Director Jim O'Day, the UM football team, current President Royce Engstrom and former President George Dennison. 

The unnamed person filing the complaint accuses the school of allowing a hostile workplace environment and harassment surrounding the football operations, as well as "gang rapes and cover ups."

News of the complaint is the latest development in several months of unrest on campus centered around alleged sexual assault and other crimes involving athletes. 

Engstrom defends UM's handling of rape report

(DILLON)- University of Montana President Royce Engstrom tells his colleagues the university didn't delay its release of information about the latest sexual assault on campus.

The school has been under additional scrutiny the past couple of weeks after it warned students of another assault, with information that came to the attention of the students and the community as a whole about a week after the initial report. The suspect in the case fled the company before he could be arrested.

But Engstrom told the Montana Board of Regents UM "did not sit on the information". 

KPAX TV reports Engstrom defended the school's actions during the Regents monthly meeting, and High Education Commissioner Clayton Christian told the board the situation isn't "solved". But he said he supports Engstrom and UM's efforts to refine its system for handling reports of rapes and other crimes. 

Investigator finds multiple cases of rape on UM campus, says response to recent incidents “appropriate”

(MISSOULA)- An independent investigator finds nine different cases of possible rapes and sexual assaults on the University of Montana campus in the past 18-months. But she says the University’s response has been “prompt and appropriate” in the most recent cases.

Those are some of the conclusions reached in the final report issued by UM President Royce Engstrom that was finished this week by retired Judge Diane Barz.

Barz was tasked with looking into two cases of rape that happened on campus in December. But her investigation has turned up additional cases of sexual assault dating back to September 2010 and opened a dialog about steps the school should take to combat the problem.

Barz’ report finds the nine cases of alleged rapes and sexual assaults, some involving cases where victims were reportedly given drugs and raped. The cases were all given varying degrees of investigation. Some are still being actively investigated. Only one case, dating from September 2010, has resulted in formal criminal charges.

But Barz says she can only speak to the most recent cases, which happened in December. And she believes those were handled properly by the school.

“The employees immediately went to their supervisors, sought professional counsel on dealing with the victims and reached administration and the President within days. The staff cooperated promptly to all requests and questions. I cannot find any suggestions to improve on what transpired in the reporting of these incidents,” Barz writes.

However, Barz says she was “disappointed” with what she called students’ “lack of response” about knowledge of house parties where rapes may have occurred. 

Barz recommends UM follow through with better information and warnings for students, training for staff and a review of policies and procedures. 

You can read the full report online here. 

Investigators finish report on UM rape allegations

(MISSOULA)- Investigators say they’ve finished their complete report into allegations of rape on the University of Montana campus.

The school announced late Tuesday afternoon that Diane Barz, the former district and Montana Supreme Court judge who had been asked to head the investigation had completed her final report and submitted it to UM President Royce Ingstrom.

Barz was charged with looking into the reports of rapes involving at least two victims and several students on campus, including some athletes that happened earlier in the school year. Only one football player is facing criminal charges at this point as a result of a separate investigation by Missoula police.

The school says the full report will be released “in the next several days” after Engstrom has had a chance to review the findings.

Engstrom is promising to discuss the status of the investigation at two upcoming public meetings, next Tuesday afternoon, and a community forum Tuesday evening at the Holiday Inn downtown.

The president had already discussed the allegations and the report during a previous public meeting two weeks ago.