In 2022, Purdue University was found guilty of retaliating against a student who came forward with sexual assault allegations against a fraternity member. Nancy Roe was one of two students who filed suit against the school in 2018. While Mary Doe settled outside of court, both their stories paint a picture: Purdue University will protect abusers and punish victims. Both women were unknowingly investigated by the very same administrators they believed would deliver them justice and then expelled and later suspended for two years.
What did the assaulter receive? A 10-page essay.
The administrators responsible for protecting abusers and intimidating victims are the Vice President of Ethics and Compliance, Alysa Rollock and Dean of Students, Katherine Sermersheim. In the trial Sermersheim defends herself stating, “Just because you don't remember something doesn't mean it's rape." In spite of a jury declaring both women guilty of acting “malicious or in reckless disregard” of Roe’s rights, both Rollock and Sermersheim remain in their positions of power. The jury did not merely fault "the institution." It returned a verdict against Sermersheim and Rollock in their individual capacities for violating Roe's constitutional rights.
Their verdict was not the end of the story. After the jury ruled against them, Purdue and its administrators did not accept accountability, they fought back. The court ultimately ordered Purdue to pay $124,860 in attorneys' fees and $10,710.93 in costs, and the university challenged the outcome.
Nancy Roe and Mary Doe are not outliers. They are the clearest documented examples of a pattern that continues today. Survivors who have since contacted us describe an intake process designed not to gather facts, but to discourage complaints. One student states "I was spoken over and prevented from sharing my experience by Title IX. I was mocked, met with sarcasm and anger, denied the opportunity to fully disclose what had happened, and had it assumed it was my fault. Getting accommodations was next to impossible... There was no protection from retaliation. They threatened me with restrictions being placed on me if I said ‘one more word,’ and then told me my report would ‘go nowhere.’"
This is not a matter of a few bad cases. Purdue's own Title IX data reveals a system that almost never substantiates claims. Across three recent academic years, 55 cases were resolved as "Not Substantiated", compared to only 5 substantiated. When nearly every report ends in dismissal, survivors learn the same lesson Nancy Roe and Mary Doe learned: coming forward at Purdue means being investigated yourself.
The problem is structural, and it starts at the top. Alysa Rollock, as Vice President for Ethics and Compliance, and Katherine Sermersheim, as Dean of Students, were directly responsible for the offices and processes that failed these students. A jury found they acted with malice or reckless disregard for a survivor's rights. They have not been removed. They have not been disciplined. They remain in power, overseeing the same systems that silenced the women who came before.
When administrators are found by a jury to have violated a student's civil rights and remain in their positions, the message to every survivor is unmistakable: nothing will change. The institution will protect itself. The people who caused harm will keep their jobs.
We reject that message. We reject a system that punishes victims and rewards abusers with essay assignments. We reject an administration that litigates against survivors and calls it compliance.
The students at Purdue University call for the Immediate Resignation of Alysa Rollock and Katherine Sermersheim.
To learn more about these cases read this articles!
Women Students, Expelled After Reporting Assaults, Sue Purdue
Purdue Found Guilty of Retaliating Against Student who Came Forward With Assault Allegations
To:
Board of Trustees and President, Purdue University
From:
[Your Name]
The administrators responsible for protecting abusers and intimidating victims are the Vice President of Ethics and Compliance, Alysa Rollock and Dean of Students, Katherine Sermersheim.
Today, multiple survivors are coming forward about their experiences with Purdue’s Title IX office and how they have been silenced or mistreated while seeking help for sexual violence. Although this petition focuses on senior administrators, the problems at Purdue extend far beyond any one individual. Survivors have described troubling practices beginning as early as the initial intake process. As more students come forward, we intend to expand our demands to address these systemic failures.
We are calling for the immediate resignation of Vice President for Ethics and Compliance Alysa Rollock and Dean of Students Katherine Sermersheim. Beyond these resignations, we demand meaningful institutional reform and accountability. Students who come forward about abuse deserve to be heard, treated with dignity, and given a fair process. They should never have to fear further mistreatment from the very offices entrusted with protecting them.
