This fall, a student-authored petition regarding Peer Leadership hiring has reignited debate and concerns about the college’s Title IX policies and sexual misconduct prevention efforts.
Each year, hundreds of Peer Leaders are hired from 11 campus offices. Their work involves close engagement with the student body and a responsibility to support the well-being of their peers. All Peer Leaders are required to complete Title IX training and are expected to help prevent and report sexual misconduct on campus.The petition, however, alleges that Peer Leaders themselves are not subject to background checks for past Title IX violations — a policy that undermines the purpose of the training and poses potential risks for students.
Concerns about a lack of screening in Peer Leader hiring have been raised in the past and have resurfaced this trimester.
Incidents from both past and current terms have prompted student activists from the Wellstone House of Organizing and Activism (WHOA) to launch the petition and call for stronger accountability measures.
According to Zack Shawn ‘26, one of the students who helped organize the petition, “There were a lot of instances during New Student week, especially of RAs and New Student Week Leaders, crossing well beyond the bounds of what their conduct should be.”
The lack of communication from the college regarding Title IX resources during New Student Week also stood out to Shawn.
“They said they weren’t able to talk about the Title IX procedures during CarlsTalk. Kari Hohn, the director of the Title IX office, was out that day. But they said they would send a video to all the freshmen, and that — just as far as we know — hasn’t happened yet.”
Kari Hohn notably fills the role of Title IX Coordinator in an interim capacity. Efforts to name an official coordinator have been ongoing since Oct. 2024, a long wait that has drawn frustration from some community members.
Shawn also expressed broader concerns about Carleton’s Title IX office. He said there have been “anecdotes of really bad stories I’ve heard… for years.” A history that ”paints a picture of an office where no one has their hands on the wheel,” Shawn said.
In response to the petition, Dean of Students Carolyn Livingston clarified that the college does take sexual misconduct findings into account when reviewing leadership eligibility.
“If a student were to be found responsible for violating Carleton’s Policy Against Sexual Misconduct through the Formal Complaint process and sanctioned in a way that prohibited them from serving in a leadership position,” Livingston said, “Carleton would uphold and enforce that sanction.”
The petitioners argue, however, that a sanction does not guarantee a barrier to Peer Leader positions. “Even if there is a formal investigation, and even if that formal investigation finds someone guilty, there’s no guarantee that that student will be removed from RA and peer leader positions,” said Shawn.
The petition has received attention from both the wider student body and campus leadership.
Vivian Augugo ’26, president of the Carleton Student Association (CSA), said that Title IX concerns have been on the CSA meeting agenda. She noted that recent discussions were prompted by the new petition.
“Currently, CSA does not have any hand or knowledge of conversations about ideas of changes to the peer leader hiring process,” Augugo said.
Augugo also emphasized the importance of open communication and transparency when addressing Title IX concerns. “[vice president for inclusion, equity and community] Vice President for Inclusion, Equity and Community (VPIEC) Dina Zavala mentioned that she and her team are always available to talk, whether through email, in-person meetings or even casual coffee chats. Similarly, Interim Title IX Coordinator Kari Hohn and Title IX Deputy Austin Robinson-Coolige are also resources for students with concerns about Title IX or related issues.”
Members of the administration have expressed concerns regarding the petition’s broader implications..
Hohn expressed concern that the petition reflects a lack of understanding of resources offered on Carleton campus.
“This petition worries me,” Hohn said. “It signifies that there are individuals on this campus who have a misinformed perception of what the Title IX office can and does offer, as well as a basic misunderstanding of the Title IX process.”
The CSA reached a similar conclusion. “From our recent senate meeting, we gauged that there is a gap in knowledge on the hiring process, understanding of legalities involved in hiring processes in general and other misconceptions on the Title IX reporting process,” Agugo said.
For now, the petition is ongoing. Carleton students remain determined to transform sexual misconduct policies on campus, while administrators face increasing pressure to respond to questions and rebuild trust in the Title IX process..
