CalMatters: How many Cal State employees are accused of sexual harassment? Here’s why it’s hard to know

August 7. 2023

ERA’s Maha Ibrahim, Senior Attorney for Litigation & Policy, and Managing Attorney of the Ending Sexual Violence in Education Program, was interviewed for a Cal Matters article about how campus sexual assault and sexual harassment numbers reports do not provide an actual representation of reality, due to significant underreporting:

A culture of intimidation may also prevent victims from filing complaints, especially if the alleged suspect holds considerable sway in a niche academic discipline. That’s according to Maha Ibrahim, a senior attorney who represents people alleging harassment, assault and gender-based discrimination at California-based Equal Rights Advocates.

If a student or employee is being abused by someone “who has power in that small space,” then the student or employee can lose their ability to complete their research, Ibrahim said. “We see that kind of reticence and under-reporting a lot.”

Read the article.