Probe of alleged bias at VMI continues

LEXINGTON -- Virginia Military Institute is defending itself against a lengthy investigation into accusations that the school's policies are sexist and hostile toward female cadets, a dozen years after women won the right to enroll.

The federal Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has an ongoing investigation of a sex-discrimination complaint at the small, state-supported school that so far has taken nearly a year and a half -- three times longer than usual.

Defenders say VMI has worked hard to recruit women and make them comfortable since the U.S. Supreme Court ordered co-education in 1997, but women remain a small minority. Of the 1,500 cadets on the Shenandoah Valley campus this fall, 126 are women.

"The language and terminology that is used and considered acceptable by VMI in the barracks reflects a climate and culture that is derogatory and discriminatory toward the women that are required as cadets to live in the barracks," according to the Education Department's June 2008 complaint.

Details of the federal complaint first were reported by The Roanoke Times.

Federal authorities also are investigating whether sexism is prevalent in VMI's tenure and promotion policies; the handling of student and employee complaints; and the school's marriage and parenthood policy, which requires cadets to resign once they marry or conceive a child.

Department of Education spokesman Jim Bradshaw said 90 percent of investigations are completed within six months, but he had no estimate of when the VMI probe might conclude. It is still ongoing after 16 months.

The complaint against VMI doesn't include accusations of sexual assault or other criminal acts, although a cadet was dismissed last spring after being charged with rape and sodomy of a female classmate.

The Virginia military college founded in 1839 fought co-education but since the court ruling has tried to recruit and welcome women, spokesman Stewart MacInnis said.

In June, VMI won a top award for its recruitment efforts from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, a Washington-based association of educational institutions.

Female cadets hold special sessions at open houses for prospective students, and the school has dedicated an admissions counselor to recruiting women.

More women are looking at VMI as an option -- applications by women nearly doubled from 87 in 2003 to 169 for the current year. Of those, 50 women arrived this semester.

Still, the school has had only 159 female graduates since it began awarding degrees to women in 2001. During that time, 2,349 men have graduated. And far more women drop out after their first year.