NEWS

MSU consultant on football sex assault case has past MSU ties

RJ Wolcott
Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - The former prosecutor being paid to conduct an investigation into sexual assault allegations against three Michigan State University football players was previously contracted by the university to overhaul its handling of gender discrimination cases amid a federal investigation.

In her role as interim director of MSU's Office of Institutional Equity from April to November 2015, Rebecca Veidlinger helped hire, train and supervise investigators at MSU. She also implemented new policies and conducted a small number of investigations, according to court transcripts from Jan. 6, 2016.

That work, coupled with Veidlinger's expertise on Title IX issues — the law preventing institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating based on gender — prompted MSU to sign her to a new contract on Feb. 2, according to spokesman Jason Cody. Veidlinger will investigate an alleged sexual assault that took place on Jan. 16 at a rate of $275 per hour, according to the contract.

Related:

Records conflict with MSU statement on football sex assault timeline 

A years-long investigation by federal officials into MSU's response to sexual misconduct complaints concluded during Veidlinger's time with the Office of Institutional Equity. MSU agreed to improve how it handled sexual misconduct cases in order to resolve the federal investigation in September 2015.

Federal officials reviewed more than 150 cases between 2009 and 2014. Approximately 30 cases were flagged by federal officials. Most involved MSU taking too long to complete investigations, while some also had missing or incomplete reports.

Related:

Feds: MSU mishandled sexual assault complaints  

At MSU: Assault, harassment and secrecy  

Veidlinger was also paid by the university to review old files between November 2015 and January 2016 as part of MSU's agreement with federal officials.

Rebecca Veidlinger

Veidlinger declined to answer questions about her work for MSU, citing the ongoing nature of her relationship with the university. Veidlinger also declined to say whether she felt MSU will discipline the student-athletes in the event her investigation finds they violated the Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct policy.

Neutrality, especially when she’s done work for an institution in the past, is paramount to working as an investigator, she said.

“Institutions are counting on me to be neutral; it’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to provide investigative services for universities,” Veidlinger said.

She pointed to her work for Eastern Michigan University — where she’s trained staff in addition to conducting investigations — as an example that she can work independently in addition to helping colleges be more compliant with federal law.

Karen Truszkowski, the attorney of the alleged victim in the MSU football player case, said she has no reason to think Veidlinger won’t investigate objectively.

“She has an excellent reputation,” Truszkowski said. "I’ve heard nothing but very positive things about her.”

MSU brought Veidlinger in to investigate rather than having its own investigators do the work. That’s because MSU anticipates the investigation “will be complex and may require additional time and attention that would not be feasible for an investigator who is managing a full caseload,” according to MSU spokesman Jason Cody.

There are 106 active cases being investigated by the Office of Institutional Equity, Cody said. He was unable to immediately answer questions about Veidlinger's past compensation. Several university officials were unavailable last week, Cody said, because of MSU's spring break.

Related:

Dantonio breaks silence, taking allegations 'very seriously'   

Veidlinger has no say on what punishments are doled out in the event her investigation finds the players in question violated university policy. That falls to a sanction panel of students, faculty and staff who meet behind closed doors. The panel can recommend anything from a written warning to dismissal. In the event suspension or dismissal is recommended, Vice President of Student Affairs and Services Denise Maybank has the final say on discipline.

Cody cited Veidlinger’s “strong experience and expertise on Title IX issues in higher education,” as well as her past work for MSU, as reasons she was hired to do the investigation.

Veidlinger worked as a prosecutor in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University, from 2005 to 2013. She prosecuted domestic violence and sexual assault cases during her time in the Monroe County Prosecutor's office. She spent the next 15 months as a Title IX investigator at the University of Michigan before being hired by MSU.

Kenyon College hired Veidlinger in 2015 to review its Title IX policies, one of half a dozen universities who’ve contracted her services in the past five years.

“I think she’s a person who very early on in the interview process, and also in her work, demonstrated knowledge, expertise and experience on Title IX issues,” said Ted Mason, associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion at Kenyon College.  “I think MSU is in very good hands with her.”

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.