USC says there was "troubling delay" in acting on fraternity sexual assault reports
The University of Southern California on Friday said there was a "troubling delay" in alerting the campus community about allegations of drugging and sexual assault at a fraternity.
USC President Carol Folt said that in late September its Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services, a counseling resource, received between five and seven "confidential disclosures" of possible drugging and sexual assault at a fraternity. Campus-wide communications weren't sent until about a month later.
"We now know that there was a troubling delay in acting on this information, and specifically in evaluating it for notification to the community," she said in a letter to the USC community.
The allegations sparked protests by campus groups, including faculty and students, claiming the university wasn't doing enough to respond to the reports of crimes on campus.
According to an email sent to USC staff and obtained by CBS Los Angeles, the university received reports of drugs being placed into drinks during a party at the Sigma Nu fraternity house, leading to possible drug-facilitated sexual assaults.
The Sigma Nu fraternity chapter at USC was put on interim suspension and, according to the email, cannot host any activities at the fraternity house.