Police at Midwest public universities seldom disclose the name of a fraternity where an alleged sexual assault is reported.

Abbigail Kepp, communications director for the University of Illinois Police Department, said the department withholds the information to protect the identity of the victim.

“If we send a CSN (campus safety notice) about a recent burglary or robbery, we are more likely to disclose the address and location name,” Kepp said in an email. “However, if the CSN is about a sexual offense, we will most likely exclude the address and location name to protect the victim’s identity.”

Police at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reported four alleged sexual assaults in the first part of the spring semester of 2025, but did not disclose the names of the fraternities where they occured.

Four other Midwest university police departments contacted by CU-CitizenAccess.org said they do not disclose the name of the fraternities or on-campus residences to protect the identity of the victim. In most cases, a general location is given out, but not always the specific street address.

Instead, universities will send out a campus alert on the street location of the assault, but the public will have to search a map to identify the fraternity — and that only works if there is a street number. 

Some crimes are reported by Campus Security Authorities (CSA) who are required to report Clery-qualifying incidents like domestic violence and sexual offenses. The report can still be submitted if the victim lacks any information — even an address. This limits the details in some cases on what CSA reports can document about the crime.

Out of the four sexual assaults reported at fraternities within eight weeks of each other last semester, only one provided an exact address in the daily crime log and none named the fraternity in the corresponding campus safety notice.

Universities are required under the Clery Act to send two types of notifications depending on the emergency, timely warnings or emergency notifications, to the campus community.

Emergency warnings are used when there is an immediate threat to the health and safety of campus, while timely warnings concern Clery crimes that pose a serious or ongoing threat. 

The Clery Act was named in honor of Jeanne Clery, a student at Lehigh University that was sexually assaulted and murdered in her dorm room in 1986. After learning that there were 38 violent crimes on that campus in the three years leading up to Jeanne’s death, the Clerys argued that their daughter would not have attended if this information was provided to them.

Gabrielle Schwartz, associate director of advocacy at the University of Illinois’ Women’s Resources Center, said the victims of a Clery Crime like a sexual assault timely warning hasn’t asked for it or isn’t aware it is being sent.

“My understanding of why specific addresses or specific names or fraternities or locations are not disclosed is to protect the privacy of the survivor and to prevent them from facing any retaliation from students who may be a part of that fraternity or may know potentially the respondent or the person who has caused the harm,” Schwartz said.

Numerous studies have found that the frequency of sexual assaults is much higher at fraternities.

In a 2013 study from California Polytechnic State University, it was reported that most gang rapes reported on college campuses are tied to fraternity houses.

Sexual offenses like rapes, fondlings and instances of incest reported to a campus security authority or local law enforcement that pose “serious or ongoing threats to campus” within Clery Geography warrant timely warnings. These acts must reach the entire campus community.

However, even though the Clery Act requires the date, nature and location of the incident, it goes on to say that a location disclosure only matters for serious or ongoing threats. Even if there has been a prior assault at a fraternity, police still do not provide the name of the fraternity. 

Universities must also maintain a daily crime log that discloses crimes within the campus area within 60 days. Entries must be included two business days after the report of the information, which include location, nature, date and time of the crime. 

Here are responses from university police departments:

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Campus police send out a Campus Safety Notice in the event of a sexual assault, rape, burglary or other Clery crime. 

“The decision to include the name of a fraternity, sorority or residence hall in a Campus Safety Notice (CSN) largely depends on the crime committed,” Kepp said via email.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The university’s campus safety messages are sent in the event of an on-campus sexual assault. 

In the event of a sexual assault at a campus fraternity, the location is listed as “off-campus/Greek housing” on the daily crime log. 

Marty Fehringer, assistant chief of police for campus police, said the address is listed and often reported on by university and local media.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison

Timely warnings, known as “Crime Warnings” at UW-Madison, are sent by email to students in the event of a Clery crime.

Campus police said more general locations are used in reference to fraternities. 

“As an example we may say ‘a fraternity on, insert street name,’ but not give the specific fraternity or house address,” the police said in an email.

The University of Missouri-Columbia

The university police department said it issues timely warnings to the campus community through email.

Travis Zimpfer, deputy spokesperson of police, said that more general locations are used when listing locations in the warnings for all crimes. 

“While the (daily crime) log includes the address of each incident, it does not name specific residences or buildings,” Zimpfer said in an email. “This practice aligns with reporting standards used across campus and aims to provide transparency while safeguarding individual privacy.”

The University of Indiana-Bloomington

Campus police said it has similar disclosure practices of Wisconsin and Missouri. Warnings are sent to the campus community through email and sexual crimes are logged in the campus’ daily crime log.

However, there are practices the department uses to prioritize victim safety.

“If the crime occurred at a Greek house where the victim lives, we may put ‘North Greek Community’ instead of the specific house,” Hannah Cornett, public information officer for Indiana University Public Safety, said in an email.

Champaign and Urbana police rarely involved in on-campus fraternity investigations

Champaign and Urbana police only intervene in on-campus investigations upon the request of university police.

Joe Lamberson, assistant to the chief of police for community services for the Champaign Police Department, said that an agreement active until 2026 leaves any criminal investigation, besides one involving a felonious death, in the hands of university police.

“Since October 1, 2022, primary police response in the Campustown District — as bounded by Springfield Avenue, Wright Street, Windsor Road, and Neil Street — has been assigned to the University of Illinois Police Department through an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Champaign and the University of Illinois,” Lamberson said.

Cory Koker, spokesperson for Urbana police, said that they would not be the primary response to possible crimes in Greek houses but would assist university police if asked.

“The overwhelming majority of fraternity houses exist in Champaign,” Koker said via email. “Urbana does have a few that we would respond to if necessary.”