Butler University has had nine Title IX coordinators in the last 10 years. Graphic by Abby Hoehn. 

AIDAN GREGG | MANAGING EDITOR | agregg1@butler.edu 

Content warning: Reference to sexual assault, sexual harrassment and discrimination. 

Three student sources who were interviewed asked to remain anonymous. Some students feared retaliation from offenders still enrolled at Butler University and due to the personal nature of their stories. Others feared employment retaliation. The anonymous students will be referred to as Ava, Bella and Conner. Additionally, three former Title IX coordinators and interim Title IX coordinators interviewed asked to remain anonymous for similar concerns of employment retaliation. 

LaVeda Howell. Stacie Colston Patterson. James Gallaher. Jamie Brennan. Maria Kanger. Tammy Pressler. Georgia Hensley. Azure Swinford. Lauren Smith. 

Since 2015, nine people have served as Butler University’s Title IX Coordinator or Interim Title IX Coordinator. During this time, the university has faced five lawsuits alleging — at least in part — mismanagement of the Title IX process. Indiana’s Southern District Court ruled in favor of Butler University in two such cases; in two others, the university settled outside of court. One case, that of four women’s soccer players against the university, is ongoing. 

Of the nine coordinators, only Kanger held the position for more than three years. Butler’s most recent permanent Title IX Coordinator Swinford served for approximately one year and one month, following the departures of Hensley and Kanger in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The university appointed Smith, formerly a program coordinator for the Efroymson Diversity Center, to the position of Interim Coordinator after Swinford’s departure. Smith will hold the position until a new Title IX Coordinator can be hired. 

Currently, the Title IX Office is housed within the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Khalilah Marbury, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and student affairs, supervises the office. 

In an email to The Butler Collegian, Marbury said, “We have formally launched the search and look forward to hiring our next OIE Director very soon.” Marbury could not be reached for further comment regarding turnover in the Title IX Office. 

In extensive interviews with The Butler Collegian, six current and former students shared their concerns with the Title IX process after facing sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination. Most cited turnover in the office, lack of communication, protracted investigations and inadequate support as the challenges that pervaded their Title IX experiences. 

University President James Danko could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. 

Turnover trouble

In February 2022, senior dance performance major Eliza Cranton reported to the Title IX Office that she had been sexually assaulted by a member of a fraternity three months prior. Kanger initiated an investigation shortly thereafter. 

Cranton initially thought that the Title IX process would go relatively quickly. After eight months of the investigation, decision and appeal process, Cranton’s case ended. During these eight months, Kanger, Pressler and Hensley each handled her case. 

After building rapport with Kanger throughout her case, Cranton received an email from Pressler on June 6, stating that Kanger had resigned as Title IX Coordinator. 

“I wish she would have let me know that she was resigning herself instead of randomly receiving an email from Tammy [Pressler],” Cranton said. “I knew the hearing was coming up … but she never said, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m not coming.’ She was just gone.” 

Hensley emailed Cranton just over a month later, informing her that she was the new Title IX Coordinator. Cranton noted that Hensley desired to change parts of the Title IX process and involve students in sexual assault prevention initiatives on campus. 

“The fact that my case had gone eight months, she was appalled by that,” Cranton said. “She was like, ‘You’re an example of how it didn’t work at all, so I want to change all that.’” 

Conner is a Butler alumnus who graduated from the Jordan College of the Arts (JCA) in May 2024. In October 2022, he reached out to Human Resources with a bias complaint against a JCA faculty member, which was referred to Hensley as a Title IX complaint in December 2022. 

Early in the process, Conner ran into difficulty communicating with the Title IX Office. 

“In January or February, Georgia [Hensley] had emailed me and was like, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know that if you need anything, you can come talk to me,’” Conner said. “And I emailed her back, and I was like, ‘Actually, yes, I would like to meet.’ And she never got back to me.”

Despite being told that his case would be concluded by late February 2023, it concluded in October 2023. Conner recalls the process being protracted because “the case kept changing hands.” Over the course of 10 months, Andrew Stutz left his position as Title IX investigator, leaving the position vacant until Swinford was hired to his position in July 2023. When Hensley left in October 2023, Swinford became Interim Coordinator and oversaw the end of Conner’s case. 

“I was sending emails out and being like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Do I need to do anything?’” Conner said. “And there was just no communication back until they got Azure [Swinford].” 

In an email to The Butler Collegian prior to her departure, Swinford said “It is ideal for an investigation to conclude within 90 days; however, this depends on the number of parties, witnesses, and evidence. Also, calendared breaks and courseload may inhibit scheduling. Cases may take much less time or longer.” 

The turnover and lack of communication Conner experienced while pursuing his Title IX case left him unsure of the progress of his case and the actions taken throughout. 

“The actual timeline of what they were doing, I still don’t fully understand, and they weren’t transparent about what they were doing and why things were taking so long sometimes,” Conner said. “It just seemed like everybody knew something that I didn’t. I feel like I could have handled the harder, emotional parts of it … if I had felt more stable about how the process was going overall.” 

In late January 2023, an incident with a fraternity involving Bella, a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was severe enough to prompt then-coordinator Hensley to file a case on behalf of the university. Hensley notified Bella, with the option for her to join the case as a co-complainant. 

Initially, Bella joined the case hoping to know what was happening rather than be “totally in the dark.” However, she found communication about her case lacking. 

As the case continued into the summer without hearing from the Title IX Office, Bella texted Hensley multiple times about the status of her case and whether it was safe for her to return to campus. Hensley never responded. 

“I [hadn’t] gotten any information for months,” Bella said. “I just [wanted] to know what [was] going on. I [didn’t] care at [that] point … This [had] been going on since January. I [was] ready for it to be done.” 

On Oct. 6, 2023, Bella received an email from Swinford informing her that she took over her case. On Nov. 10, 2023, she learned that her case had effectively closed and a decision had been made six months prior, on May 9, without her knowledge. 

“When I was going through the process, they had told me that whatever conclusions were reached, both parties would be there to arbitrate and negotiate,” Bella said. “Both parties would have to [sign off] as a done deal. I don’t know if it was different because I was a co-complainant with the university in this matter, but I never signed anything.” 

Years after their individual Title IX cases, Cranton, Conner and Bella still have questions about how their cases were handled and why coordinators left in the middle of the process. 

Cranton wonders why Kanger and Hensley never reached out to say goodbye. 

“I never understood why they didn’t send an email [saying], ‘Hey, this is my last day,’” Cranton said. “Especially Georgia [Hensley], she was so excited at the beginning … When she left, I was like, ‘That’s really weird,’ because when I met with her, she had long-term goals — more than one year.” 

In an email to The Butler Collegian prior to her departure, Swinford cited a statistic that Title IX Coordinator turnover “is high nationwide with an average of 2-3 years.” Swinford resigned as Title IX Coordinator six days later. Of Butler’s Title IX coordinators in the last 10 years, only Howell and Kanger held the position for more than two years.

Conner continues to question why the Title IX process did not seem to be equipped to handle coordinator and investigator turnover. 

“Shouldn’t there be some procedural safeguard for if this happens … if this process gets stalled, here’s what we should do in the meantime so that other people don’t get hurt by bureaucracy?” Conner said. “I just wish there would have been somebody that would have been a stable presence the entire time.” 

Procedural problems

On Jan. 14, 2025, Maddie Wood — then a junior sociology major — reported to the Butler University Police Department that they had been raped that same day. Wood withdrew from Butler University in February, following their assault and subsequent lack of support from the university. 

Although they could not pursue a Title IX case because their alleged assaulter was unaffiliated with the university, they sought support and resources from the Title IX Office. However, delayed communications, disregard for their identity and lack of privacy characterized their experience with Title IX. According to Wood, when they first met with Swinford to discuss their experience and needs, she suggested that they meet in Butler’s Starbucks. 

“It took until a couple days after the incident for anyone to actually reach back out to me, and then I didn’t meet with anyone until six days after,” Wood said. “I sat down to meet with [Swinford] that morning [Jan. 20]. First thing she said is, ‘Yeah, I accidentally emailed another [person with a similar name].’”

Wood felt that several remarks Swinford made to them were insensitive. At one point, Wood said that Swinford suggested they take a women’s self defense course to avoid future situations of sexual misconduct. Additionally, Wood — who identifies as genderfluid — said that Swinford failed to use their proper pronouns on multiple occasions. As a legal statute, Title IX governs sex based discrimination, which includes discrimination on the basis of transgender identities. 

“I don’t think she ever used my proper pronouns,” Wood said. “She emailed me once to apologize that she referred to me with the wrong pronouns … That was the only time she ever properly gendered me. Even in our first meeting, after I told her my pronouns, she continued to misgender me.”

Wood’s experience with Title IX left them feeling unheard and unsupported. Improper communication and confidentiality concerns caused Wood to distrust the Title IX process. 

“This is their profession to help with things like this, and I had to deal with it on my own for six whole days,” Wood said. “I have never felt so alone in my life.” 

Sophie Knue is a senior sociology-criminology major. She submitted a Title IX report to Kanger in December 2021 after she was raped on Dec. 7. A Clery Act Timely Warning was not issued although the incident occurred on campus. Her case lasted until May; Kanger was the Title IX Coordinator for the entire duration.

During the Title IX process, the decision maker on Knue’s case — a person contracted from outside the university as an unbiased third party to issue a final result — asked questions that she felt would hurt her credibility. 

“They asked me a lot about my mental health, and they’re not supposed to do that,” Knue said. 

Later, Knue discovered that it was imprudent for the decision maker to ask such questions while working with Hensley to amend Butler’s sexual misconduct policy. Cranton similarly faced issues with a decision maker throughout her Title IX case. 

“In the process, you’re supposed to find out who the decision maker is two weeks before the hearing,” Cranton said. “We found out one day before the hearing who it was, so we just went with it.”

Cranton said that at the time she was unaware that she had the right to review the choice of decision maker and to confirm or deny. Later, when Cranton’s assaulter appealed the decision, it was discovered that the decision maker had a bias that affected the consequences she issued — namely the consequence that the assaulter would be barred from Greek life events for the year. 

As a result of the appeal, the sanction barring Cranton’s assaulter from Greek life participation was removed. The remaining consequences were university disciplinary probation and compulsory participation in consent and alcohol classes. Preventing a student from participation in Greek life is not one of the sanctions allowed for by Butler’s sexual misconduct policy. Cranton felt that the consequences were ultimately inadequate.

“I don’t feel like [it] did anything [even though] I did the case, except that I tried to stand up for myself,” Cranton said. “So in that sense, I’m satisfied with myself but not with the process.”

‘It felt like I did it all for nothing’

Like Cranton, Ava — a senior in the Jordan College of the Arts — felt that Title IX did not adequately sanction the person who sexually harassed her. 

Swinford reached out to Ava in February 2023, seeking information about a student whose membership in a fraternity was terminated after numerous complaints regarding their conduct were brought to the chapter. Ava alleged she had been sexually harassed by the same individual during her first year at Butler. 

Originally, Ava agreed to meet with Swinford to help her investigate a student she considered a perpetrator of sexual misconduct. No case was opened for Ava’s concerns, as Swinford found the harassment Ava experienced did not meet a violation of Butler’s sexual misconduct policy. 

During her meeting with Swinford, Ava felt that she was blamed for not clearly communicating with her harasser to stop the sexual misconduct, and that deference was given to the alleged perpetrator. Following their meeting, Swinford sent an email to Ava, apologizing for their misunderstanding. However, Ava still felt her interactions with Swinford were inappropriate. 

Ava feels that there was a lack of adequate consequences for the student, given the quantity of complaints to his former fraternity. She is particularly concerned that the student is allowed to continue to pursue a teaching license. 

“It’s been over a year since it’s happened, and the student is still [enrolled] in the university,” Ava said. “Also, personally, I think that having a teaching license is particularly problematic for this situation, and he is still going through with [the process].” 

Conner similarly feels that there were not adequate consequences for the faculty member who was found to have discriminated against him. The faculty member was permitted to continue teaching but was recommended to be placed on probation for the academic year — meaning future policy violations could result in further sanctions. 

“I never saw any of the consequences,” Conner said. “It felt like I did it all for nothing … it just felt like JCA cared more about this person than it did about any of the students that were hurt; it seemed like they didn’t take our concerns seriously, and I think they still don’t.” 

Several of the students involved in Bella’s case transferred before the Title IX case concluded, but some remain on campus. Bella said that Hensley “promised” her that the offenders would be removed from campus.

“It was empty promise after empty promise mixed with no communication unless I begged for it,” Bella said. 

Although Bella “believed in second chances,” she felt that she ultimately suffered more through the Title IX process than the respondents to her case did. 

“So much of [that] semester was affected by it,” Bella said. “I almost dropped out of college. I didn’t live with my roommates. I couldn’t tell anybody where I lived … I missed a lot of things dealing with all of the repercussions of this.”

Struggle for support

Throughout the Title IX process, students can receive accommodations and support measures, such as alternative housing, academic accommodations and no-contact orders. Additionally, Knue later learned that it may have been possible to have the perpetrator removed from campus, due to the violent nature of the assault. However, such action was not taken. 

“I wish they would have used the policy that they had to remove someone from campus if it was of enough danger, because later on, I learned it was [enough of a] danger, and he would have been removed very quickly if [Kanger] would have just done it,” Knue said. “It would have been fair grounds to do that, and they had every reason to. They just didn’t.”

Wood withdrew from Butler as a result of the lack of support they received from the Title IX Office and the university. 

While working with Swinford, Wood felt that the support measures they were offered were both unhelpful and inadequate.

“I never felt like I had support, not because anybody around me wasn’t supportive,” Wood said. “[Swinford] reached out to Residence Life on my behalf because she wanted to move me, even though I told her ‘No’,” Wood said. “I can’t tell you how many times I told her that I did not want to move, and she still actively tried to get me to move. And I kept saying ‘No.’”

Wood’s experience with lack of support extended beyond the Title IX Office. They felt that after a short time, their professors “stopped caring” and wanted them to return to class. Additionally, the counselor provided to them by Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) — who Wood liked — was replaced by another counselor after their first appointment. 

“Title IX didn’t do a thing for me,” Wood said. “CCS didn’t do a thing; professors didn’t do a thing. Thankfully, I have real friends. That’s the only reason I survived as long as I did. I genuinely could not be more grateful to be gone, out of that place.”

Despite general lack of support, students consistently cited Jules Grable, Butler’s director of student advocacy, as the most helpful resource in coping with the Title IX process. As a confidential resource, Grable does not have to file reports of sexual misconduct that come to her. With regard to sexual misconduct, Grable’s role is to talk through students’ experiences and help them navigate their options. 

Cranton said that Grable was responsive and supportive when she needed help and emotional support.

“She helped me talk through things that I hadn’t thought about in that way,” Cranton said. “Meeting with her was really good. I had her number and everything, and if I texted her, she would respond pretty fast, so she was a really good support.” 

Knue, who works with Grable as Butler’s advocacy fellow, said that Grable’s support helped her manage her experience with sexual assault. 

“The saving grace in all of this was Jules Grable. I probably would not be at Butler anymore if it weren’t for her,” Knue said.

Additionally, Knue’s experience with Hensley during her tenure as Title IX Coordinator was overwhelmingly positive. She emphasized that Hensley wanted to listen to students’ struggles and push for change. When Hensley departed from the university, Knue was saddened. 

“I was heartbroken [when Hensley left] because — after what happened to me — she was this hope that I had for Butler,” Knue said. “[I thought], ‘If she’s gonna be here, she’s going to do good; she’s going to help everyone that she possibly can.’ And then I found out she left and I thought ‘She’s going to do more.’ But I wish it was here.”

Title IX takes a toll

Grable noted that the position of Title IX Coordinator is particularly hard, which can be a contributing factor to turnover. 

“The three Title IX coordinators that I’ve worked with … did the best that they could in their positions, and it’s a really difficult [one],” Grable said.

However, three of the former Title IX coordinators and interim coordinators in the last 10 years interviewed by The Butler Collegian said that Butler’s situation is uniquely challenging. They cited lack of university support — particularly from the Office of General Counsel — as one of the more difficult parts of their job. 

“Title IX coordinators need to have their own autonomy to be able to do whatever they deem is necessary for the institution and for the campus community, while also balancing the needs of the parties in accordance with the policy,” one former coordinator said in an email to The Butler Collegian. “Sometimes General Counsels don’t like that.” 

Another former coordinator noted that this lack of support is especially difficult, given that on a daily basis the Title IX coordinators work with students “on the worst day of their lives.” The emotional toll on the coordinators themselves makes the job harder. 

As someone who has worked with Title IX, Knue sees the struggle that both students and Title IX coordinators face while trying to navigate a very difficult process. 

“There are two different ways I think about it,” Knue said. “As someone who worked in Title IX, [Kanger] had two jobs at the same time. She had so much happening; she was so busy. I understand that sometimes you’re doing the best that you can, and I do think that she was doing the best that she can, but as a survivor, I wanted to know why I wasn’t given more attention when something happened to me on campus.” 

Butler University has posted a job listing for the joint position of both director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator.

‘There is hope for healing’

Each student interviewed said that their mental and physical health suffered both as a result of the sexual misconduct or discrimination they experienced and because of the Title IX process. 

Conner said that he participated in the Title IX process to protect other students from discrimination like the kind he faced. However, he said that the lack of support and consequences from Title IX and JCA was disheartening. 

“I definitely lost faith in the university actually protecting students, especially when it’s against someone who is affiliated with the university,” Conner said.

Bella’s experience with the Title IX process was compounded by a sexual assault that happened close to the time of her case. The case continues to affect her mental health. 

“I was a wreck and probably am still a wreck,” Bella said. “I’ve gotten better now. I’ve been in therapy for a little while to address [a] previous instance [of sexual assault], but I’ve never felt less valued or seen or less like a person.” 

Ava said she is glad that she did not go to the Title IX Office to report an incident of sexual assault by a different person. 

“Imagine if I went there [after being sexually assaulted] and then this [process] happened,” Ava said. “I would actually be devastated because I was quite traumatized by that, and ended up also getting sexually assaulted this past October; I was like, ‘No, I’m not going to Title IX because if this little situation was handled wildly inappropriately, what is my big situation going to be handled like?’” 

Knue said that her experience left her with doubts about the process intended to help her. However, it has made her more determined to improve the Title IX process.

“With being a survivor of a violent crime of any kind — especially with sexual violence — with it being so violating, it’s hard to be able to fully trust a system that I feel like could have done more,” Knue said. “But I also wanted to work with it and try to make it better for the next person.” 

Despite challenges with the Title IX Office, Grable emphasized that Title IX as a statute is ultimately a provision for ensuring that survivors of sexual misconduct and discrimination can get justice. She also emphasized that there are people at Butler who want to support survivors and create change. 

“There is hope for healing,” Grable said. “There is hope for seeking justice. There are options, and there are humans here to support survivors, and we can make a difference.” 

Editor’s note: Maddie Wood is a former managing editor for The Butler Collegian. They resigned from their position effective Feb. 16. The Butler Collegian interviewed Wood on March 5, after their resignation and withdrawal from Butler University. 

On March 6, The Butler Collegian requested comment from then-Title IX Coordinator Azure Swinford. On March 7, Swinford responded via email to the Collegian’s request, citing lack of availability. The Collegian independently confirmed Swinford’s departure from her position six days later, on March 13. Butler University announced Swinford’s departure on March 18. 

University General Counsel Claire Aigotti and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Brenda Harrington denied the Collegian’s request for a list of former Title IX coordinators and their terms of employment. The Butler Collegian has independently confirmed the identities of all former coordinators. 

The Butler Collegian was able to verify all claims made by sources regarding email correspondence.