Six years after the 2020 LSU sexual‑misconduct scandal, Louisiana legislators are questioning whether the state’s power‑based violence reporting system gives families and communities enough information about campus safety.
Background
In response to the LSU controversy, the 2021 legislature created a new category called power‑based violence, which includes Title IX offenses and related abuse. A statewide reporting system was launched to inform lawmakers, students and families about how often such incidents occur and how institutions respond.
Schools must report basic details for each formal complaint: the type of incident, investigation status, gender of the parties involved and any discipline imposed. The first public report was released in January 2023, covering data from the previous fall.
What’s missing
Critics note that the reports only cover the small fraction of complaints that become formal investigations. Hundreds or thousands of allegations—ranging from rape and sexual assault to dating violence—never reach that stage and are omitted from the public record.
State policy requires each allegation to be reviewed by Title IX investigators to determine if it could be a prohibited offense and whether the school has jurisdiction. Incidents that occur off‑campus or involve non‑students or non‑employees fall outside a school’s authority, and some complainants request that their claims not be formally investigated.
The current reports also lack outcomes for complaints that are appealed, meaning the public may never learn if a disciplinary decision was later overturned. Additionally, pending cases at the end of each reporting period are not carried over to the next year, leaving the data incomplete.
Lawmakers push for change
At the latest meeting of the Power‑Based Violence Review Panel, Sen. Regina Barrow (D‑Baton Rouge) and Sen. Beth Mizell (R‑Franklinton) urged the legislature to require schools to disclose the total number of incidents, the outcomes of appeals and the status of pending cases.
Brianna Golden‑Phillips, director of government affairs for the Board of Regents, said future reports will be updated to include appeal information and the ratio of total incidents to formal complaints.
The Illuminator has requested missing data from all 31 public colleges and universities, which enroll more than 200,000 students. Except for McNeese State University, each institution provided only partial responses, suggesting that additional public‑records requests may be necessary.
What the data show
From 2022 through 2025, 336 power‑based violence and Title IX allegations were elevated to formal complaints. Investigations found wrongdoing in 30 cases, resulting in two permanent removals from campus.
At LSU’s main campus, 880 incidents were reported, with 38 formalized. McNeese reported 61 incidents, leading to 19 formal complaints. The Louisiana Community and Technical College System logged 249 incidents across 12 schools and 65 campuses, with 99 becoming formal complaints.
Investigation timelines vary: the University of Louisiana System averaged 45.5 days to close a case, while the LSU System averaged 89 days. One LSU rape investigation remained open for more than seven months before the alleged perpetrator was cleared.
Outcomes
Among the 30 findings of responsibility, penalties ranged from counseling and community service to no‑contact orders and training. Two students were expelled—one from Southern University for sexual assault and another from SOWELA Technical Community College for threatening behavior. Nine others received suspensions.
Lawmakers note that the data do not indicate whether expelled students were reported to law enforcement or faced criminal charges.
Looking ahead
Senators Barrow and Mizell plan to introduce legislation that would require comprehensive reporting of all power‑based violence incidents, including those that do not become formal complaints, as well as outcomes of appeals and pending investigations. Such measures aim to give parents, students and the broader community a clearer view of campus safety and to hold institutions accountable for protecting families.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
