An independent commission at the University of Tennessee has recommended changes to improve the school's handling of sexual harassment complaints.
The long-awaited report came almost a year after the university agreed to pay nearly $2.5 million to settle Title IX complaints by eight unidentified women. The plaintiffs accused Tennessee of fostering a "hostile sexual environment" through a policy of indifference toward assault complaints against athletes.
The committee's suggestions included selecting a Title IX coordinator for the entire university system and making various enhancements in Title IX staffing, education, care, and training.
Recommendations specifically for athletic departments included reviewing the transfer process "to ensure that it addresses the recruitment of those who have been found responsible of sexual violence, dating and domestic violence and violent stalking behaviors."
