Four weeks ago, I called for cautious optimism upon President Seligman's announcement of an independent investigation into Florian Jaeger's conduct and the University of Rochester's response. Unfortunately, UR's subsequent actions have rendered this investigation essentially worthless. While establishing this investigation, UR has apparently hired new legal counsel[1] and prepared to fight Jaeger's victims in court. Even though the complainants would like to cooperate with Mary Jo White's investigation, they cannot do so while also engaged in a legal battle with the school. This must be resolved first. Last week, the Board of Trustees Special Committee sent an email to students and some alumni claiming that the EEOC complainants are refusing to cooperate with the investigation. In fact, it is the school that is forcing Jaeger's victims to chose between their legal right to compensation and participation in the investigation. Settling would be a simple three-day process,[2] but the University of Rochester did not even respond to the complainants' request to settle before declaring them uncooperative![3] We cannot let the administration get away with this bait and switch. It is imperative that alumni and other concerned parties let President Seligman know that we are still watching, and will not be placated by an investigation that excludes the testimony of Jaeger's primary victims. If you want to help, you can call or email school administrators. Please click on the following link (short version: goo.gl/xzSc4h) for a list of contact information and a recommended message: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BwapfjKmlYGvgWcJTASGgoWAKMD9RBQoKIrLXly4qg8 Although an online petition with 40,000 signatures is powerful, it will take phone calls and emails to let the school know that everyone who signed is actively following up on events and cannot be fooled by half-measures. ----------------------- [1] UR has not disclosed who is responsible for the University's defense submitted to the EEOC. Under normal circumstances the job would fall to Catherine Nearpass and Gail Norris, but they are themselves named in the complaint and would have a conflict of interest. So who wrote it and how much money has the school spent preparing to fight Jaeger's victims in court? UR will not say. [2] According to Dr. Ann Olivarius, lawyer for the complainants: "We have done many settlements in this amount of time and see no reason why we couldn’t do it again.... The complainants, to settle, are asking for UR to make the victims who have suffered and lost educational rights to which they are entitled to be made whole. The complainants are seeking to have their reasonable attorney’s fees paid. And they are agreeing to work with UR to make UR the best university possible, a flagship school in the US, and world, with the state-of-the-art best practices in preventing sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape. They want to make UR the absolute finest example of how to handle, stop and prevent these problems." [3] http://www.campustimes.org/2017/10/11/want-work-ur-case-cant-compromised/