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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont State Colleges system is hiring an investigator to field complaints of sexual misconduct and discrimination.
The Rutland Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1DkNWjF ) that Taryn Moran — who has worked at the University of Vermont for the past three years in a similar role — will begin work for the state colleges system this month.
VSC Chancellor Jeb Spaulding says the new post was not created in response to any increase in sex assault or discrimination complaints at the five state colleges. He said it's being done to comply with new federal requirements.
Before joining the UVM staff, Moran worked for Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont State Employees Association as an investigator.
She says recent incidents nationwide have led to increased scrutiny of sexual misconduct on college campuses.
"This is an issue that hadn't been getting a lot of attention," she told the newspaper. "You see the national news, with the NFL and high-profile cases at colleges around the country, and there has been a cultural shift that things need to change and we need a reporting system that is not just criminal-based."
Currently, investigations of sexual assault and discrimination in the VSC system are handled by staff at each state college — Castleton University, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College, Vermont Technical College and Community College of Vermont.
William Reedy, an attorney for the VSC, says that not an ideal practice.
"These are people who have a full-time job to begin with," Reedy said. "Second, having someone with the college investigating allegations at the college can lead to potential for conflict of interest."
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