Sep 02, 2015 01:57 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The U.S. Education Department wrapped up its multi-year Title IX investigation at Michigan State University (MSU) and determined the school violated the federal gender equity law.

According to The Huffington Post, the ED's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined MSU was too slow in responding to complaints of sexual assault and harassment on campus. This left open the possibility of "a sexually hostile environment for numerous students and staff on campus."

The OCR's probe spanned 2009 to 2014 and was opened as the result of federal complaints from two students who claimed they were sexually assaulted.

The ED released its letter informing MSU's general counsel of the concluded investigation on Tuesday, and the school released its own resolution agreement document the same day. Accompanying MSU's document was also a press release announcing improvements made to enhance its Title IX compliance.

"Sexual assault and harassment are serious problems in society and on college campuses, including ours," Lou Anna K. Simon, MSU's president, said in the release. "No member of our community should be threatened by sexual violence, and we have made a commitment to be part of a larger societal conversation on this issue. We have been constantly making improvements, using various inputs to be better tomorrow than we are today.

"We did not let the process of the OCR investigations delay our progress, and we were pleased that changes we have made over the past few years address nearly all of the primary OCR concerns."

The ED pointed out on area of MSU's campus, River Trail, that needed to be better lit and had emergency telephones installed. In its release, MSU called River Trail and the assumed danger associated with it "urban legend," though the school still plans to heed the OCR's request.

Teresa Valerio Parrot, founder of TVP Communications, told The Huffington Post her company advises schools on media statements and responses in crisis situations. She said MSU's response could indicate administrators had some frustration pent up during the OCR's four-year investigation.

"Campus leaders are accountable to their students and communities today, not only four years from now," Parrot said. "I also believe that addressing student safety is the No. 1 topic on the minds of senior administrators and presidents and that shows in the investments and changes many campuses are making to end sexual assault."

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