Swarthmore hiring advocate for sex assault victims

Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia is hiring an advocate for victims of sexual violence as part of its response to an outside consultant’s report on how it handles assaults.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the school will also hire someone to oversee compliance with federal regulations prohibiting sexual discrimination on campus.

The changes come after the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights said last week it would investigate a complaint by a group of students who said the college had created a sexually hostile environment. They allege the school violated the Clery Act, which requires colleges to report crime on campus, and Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination.

School President Rebecca Chopp says the advocate position will address a major student concern about the lack of a point person to help victims.