While university officials cannot discuss the lawsuit filed against TCU, students are invited to share their thoughts with campus leaders.
The lawsuit alleges some faculty members physically and verbally abused a student during a summer program in Washington, D.C. last year.
Two listening sessions will be held to allow students to speak about diversity and inclusion, Kathy Cavins-Tull, the vice chancellor for student affairs, announced in a campus-wide email Friday.
The sessions were organized following the news of a lawsuit filed against the university by an anonymous student. The student, who is referred to as “Jane Doe,” alleged several members of the faculty including Dr. Diane Snow, the dean of the Honors College, verbally and physically abused her on the month-long trip.
“We are committed to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community, and we are striving to do better,” Cavins-Tull wrote in the email.
They are scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Dee J. Kelly Alumni Center.
Students will not be excused from classes to attend the sessions since they are being held on different days and at different times, wrote Holly Ellman, the associate director for strategic communications management in an email.
Cavins-Tull said students who cannot attend the sessions may share their concerns by emailing [email protected] or calling 817-257-6000.
One session has already been offered for students in the John V. Roach Honors College.
On Friday, Dr. Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, the provost, asked honors students to voice their opinions and concerns related to the issues raised in the lawsuit. About 30 students attended and said they had problems trusting faculty members, including not knowing to whom to turn for help.
“We all want students, faculty and staff to have a great experience at TCU,” Cavins-Tull said. “We share the same goals, and together, we can continue to improve the TCU student experience.”
For a full list of on-campus resources available to assist students, click here.
