Volume 119, Issue 26
the
VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, April 26, 2022
UCO faces Title IX case International student says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow student in the university’s second active investigation
Ainsley Martinez Managing Editor
An international student filed a Title IX complaint against UCO in March after claiming another international student drugged and sexually assaulted her a year prior, resulting in her having to defer her graduation and apply for a new, more restrictive visa. The plaintiff and defendant are identified in the complaint as Jane Roe and John Doe, pseudonyms that protect their identities. Roe “prays for damages; cost; interest; statutory/civil penalties according to law” and other relief as the court deems appropriate, according to court documents. In court documents, she said her decline in mental health and educa-
tional performance occurred after the incident caused her to defer her graduation to 2024. She was expected to graduate this year. The plaintiff ’s student visa will expire prior to her graduation, requiring her to apply for a U-Visa, a visa for victims of criminal activity. However, under this visa she may not leave the country to visit her family. Roe and a professor contacted the UCO Title IX office twice during March, but said she never received a meeting. UCO admits in court documents that they responded to the incident two months after it was filed. The plaintiff was “uncertain whether she wanted to pursue criminal charges,” but reported the incident to the UCO police department where she was redirected to the Edmond Po-
lice Department, according to court documents. Roe then took a sexual assault medical forensic examination through the police department. While having dinner at her apartment, Roe said Doe drugged her and “placed his penis in her mouth, ejaculated on her chest and stomach, and digitally penetrated her vagina,” as stated in court documents. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, “among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.” This is the university’s second formal Title IX investigation, said Title IX Coordinator Erin Logan. Logan said she wants to open up the curtain on the Title IX process.
“Because there’s so much we can’t talk about, I want to really talk about the things that we can talk about,” Logan said. “The conversation is a lot broader than sexual assault. So really educating campus on how we ensure gender equity on our campus is going to be a hot topic moving forward.” She said the university is increasing their partnerships and programs to improve the process. As the coordinator, Logan said she wants every procedure to be fair and equitable. “Somebody is not going to get the outcome that they want in this process, but I don’t want it to be because their voice was muffled in some way or we went forward with a process that wasn’t the right process because it wasn’t properly explained. That’s not how I operate,” Logan said.
Poet zooms to UCO for reading event Cameron Foral
Contributing Writer
The UCO College of Education and Professional Studies will host a poetry reading through Zoom with poet Layli Long Soldier at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Though the event will be virtual, both UCO students and the Edmond community are invited to attend. Soldier will conduct a live reading of several of her poems throughout the event. “The event is open to anyone,” said Wendy Barnes, the organizer for the event, “We hope a lot of UCO students will attend, but they can certainly invite friends, family, or anyone they would like to join us. She will read poems and, if there is time, we will conduct a Q and A.” The College of Education has hosted several poets throughout UCO’s history. Barnes, the visiting poet in residence for UCO, is new to the position. This is her first year organizing poetry Poet, writer and artist Layli Long Soldier attends the 68th National Book Awards at Ci- readings for the community. “I chose Layli Long Soldier because priani Wall Street on November 15, 2017 in New York City. Soldier will host a poetry reading through Zoom. Soldier will conduct a live reading of several of her poems she is simply one of my favorite pothroughout the event. (Gary Gershoff/WireImage) ets, and to my mind, one of our best
American poets.” Barnes said. “I think her formal innovation is masterful, and her book ‘Whereas’ is a book that I teach to undergraduate and graduate students in poetry. The book’s social and political concerns are also incredibly relevant. Whereas directly addresses the bureaucratic language the U.S. government uses in official apologies to and treaties with Native Americans, pointing to its inadequacies, hypocrisies, and the ways it is used to further inscribe its power onto Native people and their cultures,” said Barnes. The university has seen a lineup of prominent poets reading their work to students, such as U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. With this history, some wonder where the department of education will go next with these events into the future. “I am the visiting poet in residence, so this is my first year organizing guest readers at UCO, though I have been involved in organizing readings elsewhere. As I understand it, the frequency of readers varies, and that has Continued on Pg. 3