University adds 2 staff to investigate Title IX complaints

Bobby Brown and Jennifer Horace this month have joined UW–Madison’s Office of Compliance as Equal Opportunity/Title IX investigators.

Office of Compliance Director Cathy Trueba says growing its investigative staff offers dual benefits to the university. There will now be a pool of investigators to investigate discrimination complaints, including allegations of sexual misconduct. Additionally, the added capacity will allow Lauren Hasselbacher, UW–Madison’s Title IX coordinator, to expand education and prevention initiatives.

“This allocation underscores Chancellor Blank’s commitment to address matters of discrimination with the resources necessary to investigate allegations promptly and hold responsible parties accountable for their behavior,” Trueba says.

Horace has a master’s degree in higher education student affairs from Indiana University and a doctorate in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education from Clemson University. She most recently worked as a student affairs specialist at Purdue University, where she also conducted Title IX investigations.

Brown has a law degree from Cleveland State University and a master’s in public administration from Albany State University. Since December 2015, he has worked at Kent State University in the positions of compliance investigator and deputy Title IX coordinator. His previous experience also includes teaching, coaching and working as an investigator for social service agencies.

Hasselbacher says Brown and Horace bring valuable skills to the Office of Compliance.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Bobby and Jennifer to the Office of Compliance. Their combined experiences in the areas of higher education and discrimination and harassment investigations make them ideal candidates to join our team, Hasselbacher says.

Information about the discrimination complaint process, the Title IX program and contact information for staff is located on the Office of Compliance website. Email inquiries can be made to the coordinator  or investigators.