On June 3, 2016, Baylor University’s interim president posted a letter online stating that the university will not release law firm Pepper Hamilton’s full report investigating Baylor’s handling of incidents pertaining to sexual violence.
The incidents came to light in June of 2014, when Baylor defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was indicted on two counts of sexual assault. Several other football players, including Shawn Oakman, were charged with sexual violence. In September of 2015, Baylor hired Pepper Hamilton to conduct an external and independent review of Baylor’s handling of alleged sexual violence. Pepper Hamilton gave Baylor its full report in May of 2016. In response to the report, Baylor’s Board of Regents implemented “leadership changes and extensive corrective actions,” including the firing of football coach Art Briles and the demotion of president Ken Starr, whose reputation ironically was built on “an overzealous pursuit of allegations of sexual transgressions by [former United States President, Bill Clinton.]”
After his demotion, Starr resigned “as a matter of conscience,” but urged Baylor to release the full report from Pepper Hamilton, for reasons of transparency. On June 3, 2016, Baylor’s interim president stated that the full report would not be released since “the findings were originally presented orally.” Nonetheless, Baylor’s website details fact findings and recommendations from Pepper Hamilton.
The fact findings reflect a fundamental failure by Baylor to implement Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). [Pepper Hamilton] found that “Baylor’s efforts to implement Title IX were slow, ad hoc, and hindered by a lack of institutional support and engagement by senior leadership. Based on a high-level audit of all reports of sexual harassment or violence for three academic years from [2012 to 2015], [Pepper Hamilton] found that the University’s student conduct processes were wholly inadequate to consistently provide a prompt and equitable response under Title IX, that Baylor failed to consistently support complainants through the provision of interim measures, and that in some cases, the University failed to take action to identify and eliminate a potential hostile environment, prevent its recurrence, or address its effects for individual complainants or the broader campus community.” Pepper Hamilton’s recommendations include establishing extensive Title IX obligations as an institutional priority.