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Monday, May 21, 2018 I Vol. 115 Iss. 3 AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM The GW Hatchet ETHAN STOLER | CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR The Class of 2018 gathered on the National Mall for the annual Commencement ceremony Sunday. McNutt encourages graduates to ‘bring hope back’ LAUREN PELLER & SARAH ROACH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS When Marcia McNutt was named the president of the Na- even in a society that lacks trust in the U.S. government. tional Academy of Sciences two years ago, she became the fi rst “The diploma you will be given today from this great Uni- woman to take on the title – but proving herself as a woman in versity is a powerful tool for you to discover your ‘why,’” she a male-dominated fi eld was nothing new to her. said. “I want you to fi nd it and use it to bring hope back into As a doctoral student at the Scripps Institution of Ocean- this world.” ography, McNutt was told that the “deck was stacked against” McNutt is the fi rst woman to head the National Academy of her as the university’s only female geophysics student. Sciences and previously directed the U.S. Geological Survey, a But after she graduated fi rst in her class, “no one messed scientifi c agency that studies natural resources. She also served with me,” she said. as the editor in chief of Science, a national academic journal. McNutt, who delivered the annual Commencement speech The speaker encouraged graduates to become “beacons of Sunday, told graduates that they should use their education to “see those doors that are opening ahead” and discover their purpose in life. She said graduates should remain hopeful – See UNIVERSITY Page 3 Lawsuit alleges GW ‘turned a blind eye’ to sexual misconduct DANI GRACE violations this academic year. alumna’s sexual violence case plaintiff s’ complaints. her and other underage staff provided safe harbor for the ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR “GW engaged in a pat- and repeatedly put her at risk The women claim that members drinks when the assailant,” the suit states. tern and practice of behav- of further sexual harassment both the alleged assailant and staff went to a nightclub, took University spokeswoman A lawsuit fi led earlier this ior designed to discourage by refusing to expel her as- the women’s supervisor, Kyle her back to his apartment Maralee Csellar declined to month alleges the Univer- and dissuade students and sailant and allowing him to Renner, the operations man- while she was “grossly intoxi- comment on the lawsuit, cit- sity and senior management parents of students who had keep his on-campus job. ager at IIEP, created a culture cated” and raped her. ing a University policy not to failed to protect multiple been sexually assaulted from The University is also cur- of “pervasive and regular” Jane Doe 5 alleges the comment on pending litiga- student employees from a seeking prosecution and pro- rently under federal Title IX sexual hostility in the work- assailant forced her into an tion – but she said GW will “sexual predator” in the tection,” the lawsuit states. investigation for allegedly mis- place. Uber with him after a party respond “as appropriate.” workplace. handling another sexual vio- In the complaint, Jane Doe and began to assault her “The George Washing- In a 29-page complaint Multiple alleged lence case involving sex-based 1 states the alleged assailant during the ride. She said he ton University takes issues fi led May 10 in the D.C. Supe- violations discrimination and retaliation repeatedly asked her to come “aggressively raped” her at of sexual misconduct, sexual rior Court, fi ve anonymous The suit names a student for reporting an incident. alone to his apartment and his apartment, and she physi- violence and its obligations women claim GW “turned a employee who works at the The lawsuit comes at the openly discussed his “sexual cally tried to stop him, but under Title IX very seriously,” blind eye to the hostile, dan- institute as the alleged assail- same time as an overhaul of exploits” around the offi ce, couldn’t because she was in- Csellar said. “The University gerous work environment” ant. The women, identifi ed the University’s sexual ha- including a public ranking toxicated and was falling “in is committed to fully support- at an institute at the Elliott as Jane Does 1 through 5 in rassment policy, which was of his sexual encounters with and out of consciousness.” ing any survivors and pro- School of International Af- the suit, claim the alleged as- fi nalized at a Board of Trust- female coworkers. The suit Jane Doe 3, the head of the viding an equitable process fairs. They claim the Univer- sailant continuously asked ees meeting Friday. The up- claims Jane Doe 1 brought digital communications and for those who are accused.” sity and a supervisor at the coworkers on dates, used dates change the sexual mis- her concerns to Renner and social media team, said in the The suit states that mul- Institute for International “demeaning” language to re- conduct investigation process the Title IX offi ce, and while lawsuit she was repeatedly tiple staff members com- Economic Policy did not take fer to female coworkers and from including a six-person a Title IX investigator reached told about the alleged assail- plained to Renner about the action against a male em- raped three of the women faculty- and student-led hear- out to her, the offi ce pursued ant’s unwanted advances on assailant’s “inappropriate” ployee who raped or sexually when they were intoxicated. ing board to a single investi- no further action. other offi ce employees. She actions over the past year, but harassed at least 11 women “These women were not gator model and require all Jane Doe 2 said in the said in the lawsuit she fi led at the women allege Renner at- – and forced the plaintiff s to only sexually assaulted by faculty to be mandatory re- complaint that the assailant least four formal complaints tempted to silence them by either cut back on hours and this monster – they were porters. sexually assaulted her in his with supervisors about the asking them to work from work from home or continue mentally assaulted by his apartment when she was a alleged assailant’s behavior, home or responding to their to work in close quarters with taunts, threats and ridicule,” Allegations of sexual freshman, despite telling him but offi cials failed to follow complaints with, “sometimes their assailant. the lawsuit states. “The ex- misconduct repeatedly she didn’t want up on the complaints, fi re you need to work with peo- The plaintiff s ask for more treme distress, humiliation, The lawsuit alleges the to “do anything sexual.” She him or launch a Title IX in- ple you don’t necessarily get than $30 million in damages embarrassment and feeling University violated the D.C. said she returned to the job vestigation. along with.” and demand the University of powerlessness the plain- Human Rights Act by forcing the next year because she “Renner was part of the implement discrimination tiff s have experienced in the some of the women to resign needed money but frequently A ‘deliberate indifference’ problem and his behavior is and sexual harassment train- face of such an injustice is or cut back on their hours to asked coworkers to walk her to student concerns indicative of the systematic ing at the institute, fi re the al- not something that heals well avoid interacting with the al- to work to avoid seeing him The suit claims GW did failures of GW to recognize leged assailant and promote with time.” leged assailant instead of fi r- alone. not take any “discernible ac- and respond to complaints clear resources to employees The alleged assailant did ing him. The complaint states Jane Doe 4 said in the com- tion” to remove the alleged of sexual harassment in the about how to fi le a sexual not respond to multiple re- GW acted “negligently” by plaint the assailant often used assailant from his position workplace,” the suit reads. misconduct complaint. quests for comment. declining to implement basic “demeaning” tactics – like after being made aware of al- Renner said the lawsuit The suit is one of at least The lawsuit is the latest anti-harassment training and intentionally calling her co- leged incidents. is “inaccurate in a number of six legal challenges – includ- in a slew of Title IX lawsuits supervision for employees workers by the wrong name “Not only has GW dem- respects” and “mischaracter- ing lawsuits and federal com- this academic year, including and violated various federal – and referred to new female onstrated a deliberate indif- izes” his actions. He declined plaints – fi led against the Uni- a complaint fi led last month Title IX policies by failing staff ers as his “new offi ce ference to plaintiff s’ com- to comment further on the versity for possible Title IX alleging GW mishandled an to respond appropriately to crush.” She said he bought plaints of harassment, it has complaint. Timeline of Title IX-related legal challenges led against GW Sept. 10, 2017 March 8, 2018 May 10, 2018 An alumna les a federal Title IX A former student les a lawsuit against the Five current and former female student complaint alleging GW mishandled University claiming GW unfairly ruled employees claim GW subjected them her sexual violence case against him in a sexual assault hearing to a “sexually hostile” workplace Dec.

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