UM students report 129 incidents of sexual misconduct in 12 months

In a first of its kind report released this week, the University of Michigan revealed that 129 incidents of sexual misconduct were reported by students in the last 12 months.

Of those alleged incidents, 68 cases were sexual assaults, while 34 were sexual harassment. Eighteen reports were of stalking, 2 of retaliation and 11 were classified as other. The university found eleven violations and expelled one student.

Previously, the university reported sexual misconduct data only as part of a broader report without details. Data published in 2013 included 86 incidents of sexual misconduct, but that didn't include the breakdown of how the incidents evolved.

Rick Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the university, said, "This initial report strikes that balance between treating the information about the specific of students and specific incidents privately, while providing public transparency about the process."

The latest data is enough to show the extent still-growing problem of sexual misconduct. The problem has received widespread attention nationwide, forcing the White House to intervene with some directions to the universities.

Along with many other universities across the nation, UM is under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights of the U. S. Department of Education for its way of handling of sexual assault cases on campus.