A Message from President Hallick

Students, Faculty and Staff,

You may have seen recent coverage in the media concerning a lawsuit filed Monday alleging the university was responsible for an off-campus sexual assault against a student in 2013. This is alleged to have followed an off-campus party at a student residence where underage drinking is also alleged to have taken place. We are now working with our Office of Legal Affairs and outside attorneys to respond to the complaint, and expect the discovery and fact finding phase of the litigation to take from several months to a year to conclude. We believe the university acted legally and appropriately in handling this matter, and that the facts will show this to be the case. The university does not support or authorize any of its employees or coaches to host parties in which alcohol is provided to minors, as was alleged in the lawsuit. In addition, the allegations regarding the disciplinary proceedings do not appear to be accurately portrayed within the lawsuit, as will become more clear as the matter proceeds.

The safety of all university students is our priority. The university has a number of resources in place to support survivors of sexual misconduct, and policies and procedures to review and take appropriate action when such allegations are made. One example includes the Staff and Faculty Student Concern Response Guide available on the website. I know these allegations are serious and concerning to all of us at Pacific. A campus town hall meeting on the matter is being scheduled for Monday, Nov. 23 on the Forest Grove campus. More details on this will follow.

Lesley M. Hallick, PhD

President