MANHATTAN -The Interfraternity Council (IFC) at Kansas State University is calling for change in the university’s sexual assault policy.

It was confirmed last week that the University is under a federal Title IX investigation and two female students filed civil rights lawsuits alleging K-State refused to investigate their rapes at off-campus fraternity houses.

Zach Lowry, president of the IFC said the resolution passed unanimously on Monday is not necessarily in response to the allegations. “The allegations are misleading – those events happened a long time ago, he said.

“The lawsuit has highlighted the policy that the Interfraternity Council has been attempting to change.”

Lowry has served on the council for the last three years and indicated the organization has brought the issue of investigating off campus Title IX violations to the university every semester he’s been on board.

It seemed the university started looking into it after a New York Times article on the issue was published, according to Lowry.

“Whether it was from media attention or not, the endgame is for the positive regardless, the end goal is to provide better resources for the students,” he said.

The IFC resolution states, “Over the past two years members of the IFC Board of Directors and Panhellenic Council Board of Directors have met with University officials requesting a change in policy to allow the Office of Institutional Equity to investigate Title IX violations that occur off campus. These meetings have provided no clear plan of action.

We salute the bravery of victims during this time whose allegations were not fully investigated and adjudicated by the university. Specifically, the actions of Sara Weckhorst and Tessa Farmer, two students who have filed lawsuits against Kansas State for its refusal to investigate accusations of Title IX violations, including acts of sexual violence, which occurred off campus. Their fight against sexual violence has shed light on a university policy which has negatively impacted the lives of students for far too long.

As the leaders of our Greek community and in the interest of all students at Kansas State, we are specifically calling on our university to begin investigating allegations of sexual violence off campus.

Students of Kansas State who are victims of sexual assault have not received the care which should be provided to them by the university. This includes but is not limited to;

• Immediate action by the university to ensure the students can continue their education free of sexual violence or harassment
• Financial accommodations to ensure students receive counseling, tutoring, medical expenses, or a change in residence, class schedule, campus job, or extracurricular activity if needed
• Investigation into the allegation whether it occurred on-campus or off which should be concluded in a 60 day time span
• Training for university employees on how to identify, report, and handle sexual violence

We also recognize the need for additional funding, resources, and staff at the Kansas State CARE Office to better assist survivors of sexual assault, sexual violence, and sex discrimination. We believe that this measure, paired with an additional investigator hired for the Office of Institutional Equity to help with the investigation and adjudication process, would be the best steps toward providing the adequate support required.

As member organizations part of a university which holds Family as its core value we will collectively be taking further steps to educate, train, and prevent sexual assault from happening within our community. While the university does have a mandatory online education program for all students, these additional steps will ensure all members of fraternities are better trained on bystander intervention, consent, and sexual violence awareness.

As members of the K-State family we are committed to End Rape on Campus, and off.