Duke University under investigation by federal agency

Duke University is under investigation by the federal government related to its handling of sexual misconduct, the university has confirmed.

The investigation was launched in November by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint was initiated by a student, said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke’s vice president for public affairs and government relations.

“The university will cooperate fully with the investigation, which will review the handling of sexual misconduct and harassment complaints involving students, faculty and staff,” Schoenfeld said in a statement.

Schoenfeld would not comment on the case that prompted the complaint, but said “Duke is firmly committed to sustaining a safe, inclusive environment for all students, and works diligently across the campus to ensure compliance with the letter and spirit of Title IX.” Title IX is the federal gender anti-discrimination law.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education signaled its intent to give tougher scrutiny to colleges for the way they handle cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Since then, students and others have filed 244 complaints at universities across the nation, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported last week, and the government has resolved only 46 of those cases to date.

In North Carolina, both Guilford College and UNC-Chapel Hill have been investigated under Title IX.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 6:14 AM with the headline "Duke University under investigation by federal agency."