DALLAS (AP) – Baylor University did not report a single instance of sexual assault in a four-year span, according to federal statistics, a finding that stands in sharp contrast to the many other private and public schools that made multiple reports over the same period.
The Baptist school of 16,000 students in Waco has faced mounting criticism over its response to sex assaults on campus, and some critics contend administrators fail to fully investigate complaints, including two involving football players who were later convicted.
“There’s always a red flag that goes up when a school reports zero incidents,” said Neena Chaudhry, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center. “I don’t think it’s a good sign when you’re not getting any reports because it’s probably not true.”
Among nearly 200 public and private institutions in the U.S. with similar enrollment, Baylor was one of about two dozen schools that reported no offenses.
Baylor has declined to address specific allegations, though President and Chancellor Ken Starr has decried the “scourge of sexual violence.”