The Michigan State University Board has no written policy for its Title IX oversight, even as trustees disagree about how they should review reports of sexual misconduct by university employees. Emails obtained by The State News show two trustees declining to certify reports and questioning the review process.
All eight trustees are asked to certify reports assigned through a university portal. Spokesperson Amber McCann said trustees review cases three times a year and report verification or clarification to the state annually. State law requires the university president and one member of its governing oversight body to review all Title IX cases. The board adopted a practice in 2023 requiring two trustees to review each case, but McCann confirmed there is no formal written policy.
Title IX Oversight Process Remains Unwritten
Trustee Rema Vassar said in an op-ed in The Detroit News that she would not certify reports until the board publishes its policy. Trustee Mike Balow asked for the written rule and raised concerns that an investigation had not interviewed a past claimant with relevant information.
Vice President Laura Rugless said a review concern can go before the full board. Balow wanted a written policy, checklist and ability to seek an outside reviewer. Sociologist Nicole Bedera, who studies sexual violence and institutional responses to survivors, said signing reports does not by itself show that a university has responded appropriately.
Trustees Dispute Reviews and Certification
In a July 31 email, Secretary to the Board Stefan Fletcher told Chair Brianna Scott that six cases were pending certification and would need reassignment if the board wanted to maintain its internal practice. The cases were divided among three trustees. Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson separately raised concerns about treating participation as optional and asked to reassign three cases while the board resolved the question.
The Michigan State School Aid Act, created in 2018 after the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, requires university leaders to certify that they reviewed reports of sexual abuse by university employees. The State News reported that an investigation of the board’s 2021 process found seven of 16 reports assigned to its Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee went unreviewed. The investigation also found former President Samuel Stanley Jr. signed inaccurate state certifications after relying on incorrect information from the university’s Title IX office.
Bedera described the certification process as “symbolic compliance” and said Michigan’s law lacks provisions requiring public transparency. She argued that universities should make information available for independent scrutiny. Her comments address oversight questions also raised in technology oversight and privacy.
Board Disagreement Extends Beyond Title IX
Emails show trustees also debated how to answer The State News after it asked whether the university planned to formalize the review process. Scott sent a proposed statement saying the two-trustee approach exceeded the state requirement. Trustee Dennis Denno objected to saying a trustee who declined to review cases neglected the law, asking how Vassar could be breaking the law if state law only required a review.
Balow filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the board’s revised code of ethics and conduct violated his free speech rights. Vassar filed a separate lawsuit against current and former board members, alleging retaliation based on sex and race. Both trustees were censured for not signing the revised code. Censure expresses the board’s disapproval and does not itself remove a trustee from office.
Questions about written duties and board accountability also appear in another law society board dispute. A separate report on compliance with legal duties examines how formal obligations are followed in practice.
For now, the board has agreed to a two-trustee review practice but has not published a formal policy, McCann told The State News. The emails leave unresolved how trustees should handle assigned cases, raise concerns and document their reviews.
