The United States Department of Justice has partially terminated its 2020 Settlement Agreement with Utah State University based on the university’s efforts to strengthen its prevention of and response to sexual harassment and assault.

In a letter notifying USU of the partial termination, the DOJ said it is also satisfied with the university’s response to issues the Department raised in August 2024 regarding mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations in the USU Football program.

The 2020 monitoring agreement was the result of a DOJ review which found USU had failed to comply with some aspects of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act in its response to allegations of sexual harassment of students.

The agreement detailed revisions the university would need to make to its policies, procedures and practices regarding sexual harassment.

The DOJ notified USU in February that it was partially terminating the 2020 Settlement Agreement based on USU’s compliance with most of the agreement’s terms. Two provisions of the agreement remain in effect — strengthening ties with local law enforcement and improving the educational climate.

Continuing compliance

USU’s Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Amanda DeRito said as USU nears the end of the agreement, it will continue working to address sexual misconduct appropriately and keep up to date on best practices.

As part of the first remaining provision, USU announced Tuesday it has executed Interlocal Cooperative Agreements with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office and the Logan City Police Department.

DeRito said the agreements put into writing what USU and its partners are already doing and make sure everyone is on the same page in their efforts to promote campus safety.

According to the press release, the agreements are a step toward improving communication, reducing crime, effectively responding to reports of sexual violence and complying with federal and state reporting statues.

The release states the university is working on similar agreements with other law enforcement agencies in the valley.

“Strengthening the relationship with local law enforcement and focusing on collaboration has been a focus of mine since joining USU,” said USU Police Chief Jason Brei. “We share the priority with our fellow law enforcement agencies of creating the safest community possible. We are grateful for these partnerships with Logan City and Cache County. Our departments engage in many collaborative opportunities and this is an essential step in memorializing those efforts.”

The release states the university’s intent to continue working with community partners to address issues of sexual misconduct collaboratively.

For the last four years, CAPSA and USU have hosted the Northern Utah Conference to End Violence.

The conference’s theme is “A Call for Collaborative Leadership” and the conference is widely attended by USU employees, local law enforcement, victim advocates, social workers, local school districts and community members every year.

Other partnerships between USU and local law enforcement agencies mentioned in the press release include:

• When responding to reported crimes involving students at USU, Logan City and other local law enforcement provide individuals with a USU victim resource card to help inform them of campus resources.
• USU has hosted joint trainings with local law enforcement focused on sex crimes and dating and domestic violence. This includes multiple trainings with external experts and specialized training provided by USU on Title IX and the Clery Act.
• USUPD, USU’s Title IX Coordinator, and local law enforcement regularly participate in the Cache County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
• USUPD partners with regional law enforcement agencies as part of the Northern Utah Critical Incident Investigative Team under the oversight of Cache County Attorney’s Office.
• USU, Logan and Cache County officials, including the Cache County Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement, meet regularly to discuss and collaborate on shared concerns and initiatives.
• USU transitioned to the same records management system as local law enforcement to facilitate record sharing when appropriate.
• USU moved to a centralized dispatch system with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, which facilitates shared data and records to identify criminal patterns and trends within the Cache Valley community.