Editor’s note: This article contains discussion of sexual violence. Resources and helplines can be found at the bottom of the piece. Additionally, as outlined in our publication policy, anonymity of an opinion writer is strictly reserved for limited circumstances. 

The Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office exists to protect students from discrimination and harassment. Yet, when I sought help from WashU’s Title IX office, I encountered a system designed not to support survivors, but to shield the institution from accountability. My experience exposed a pattern of bureaucratic obstruction, legal negligence, and institutional betrayal — failures that actively endanger students.

This is not just incompetence. This is a university failing its federal legal obligations under Title IX. Students deserve to know the truth.

Bureaucratic obstruction: Delays, vagueness, and active discouragement

From the outset, the Title IX office weaponized bureaucracy to deter accountability. Instead of providing clear, structured guidance, they created confusion, delays, and unnecessary barriers, making the process exhausting and discouraging. I had to repeatedly ask the same questions in different ways just to get partial answers. When I insisted on clarity, they seemed annoyed.

When I asked how to file a formal complaint, they subtly discouraged me by emphasizing the time, effort, and emotional toll it would take — less as a warning to protect me, but more like a veiled threat, as if to say, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Meanwhile, the delayed response prolonged my distress. I was told it would take two weeks just to take basic steps, such as speaking with the person I had reported. When I requested a written response outlining my rights and next steps, they refused to provide one, insisting instead on meetings — further delaying any answers or guidance.

And when I needed actual help, such as facilitating academic accommodations to avoid my harasser, they redirected me to my department instead of intervening. An endless loop: the office designed to protect me refused to take responsibility, leaving my safety back in the hands of the administrators who had no legal obligation to enforce Title IX protections. 

This wasn’t just incompetence — it was a deliberate strategy to exhaust and silence survivors. 

Legal negligence: Retaliation as an institutional choice

Retaliation, such as bad-mouthing, delayed graduation, threats to funding, blocked recommendations, research sabotage, and intimidation, is prohibited under Title IX. Yet, when I asked how the University would protect me from potential retaliation, the Title IX coordinator’s response was chillingly indifferent:

“Retaliation is common.”

“There are many types of retaliations.”

“We’ll read them the no-retaliation policy. I can also send it to you.”

That was it. That was their version of protection. No proactive safeguards. No enforcement mechanisms. Just a reminder of the rules.

By framing retaliation as inevitable — and protection as nothing more than a policy reminder — the University abandoned its legal duty to ensure student safety. Survivors were left vulnerable, while harassers faced no meaningful consequences.

Institutional betrayal: Title IX officers showed no Empathy, no urgency, no care

Beyond the procedural failures, what struck me most was the complete lack of empathy from the Title IX staff.

During meetings, staff scrolled through their phones while I spoke. They dismissed my trauma as a “miscommunication” and became irritated when I returned to their office for clarity.

At no point did I feel supported. At no point did I feel like they took my case seriously. They wanted me to go away — not because my case wasn’t serious, but because helping me required effort, and they didn’t want to do the work.

Why is WashU failing its students?

I am writing this not just for myself, but for every student at WashU who has been dismissed, discouraged, and abandoned by a system that claims to protect them.

So I ask the Provost and University leadership directly:

1. Why does the Title IX office refuse to provide written documentation of survivor rights?
2. Why are students pressured to abandon formal complaints?
3. Why is retaliation treated as unavoidable instead of proactively prevented?
4. Why must survivors beg for academic protections that Title IX legally requires?
5. If Title IX at WashU is failing to provide basic protections, what purpose does it serve?

This university proudly markets itself as a safe, inclusive place to learn. But behind the scenes, students are being ignored, misled, and left unprotected.

Where do we go from here?

I demand the following:

• Independent audit: A full investigation into the Title IX office’s failure to protect students and fulfill its legal obligations.
• Transparent processes: Clear, accessible written guidelines for complaints, timelines, and protections — not vague, discouraging responses.
• Immediate academic protections: Survivors should not have to fight for advisor transitions or accommodations that Title IX legally requires.
• Enforced anti-retaliation protections: Actual consequences for retaliatory acts, not just “reading a policy” to an abuser.

WashU must decide: Does it actually stand with the students, or does it just pretend to?

To other students: If you have been silenced, gaslit, or abandoned by WashU’s Title IX office, share your story. The only way to force change is to make silence impossible.

The Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline (SARAH) provides confidential and anonymous support and can be reached at 314-935-8080 24 /7 during the fall and spring academic semesters.

There are counselors at the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center, located in Seigle Hall, Suite 435, available confidentially to any University student. The office can be reached at 314-935-3445 or by email at rsvpcenter@wustl.edu.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673 or via online chat at https://hotline.rainn.org/online 24/7.