Loyola University Chicago's newly released campus safety report shows six cases of rape were reported in 2025, the highest number recorded since 2019 and double the count from the previous year. Every one of those six cases occurred within on-campus housing, according to the university's own data.
The figures come from the 2026 Clery Act Annual Security Report and Fire Safety Report, which Loyola University Chicago releases each year to comply with federal law requiring colleges receiving federal funding to disclose campus crime statistics. As The Loyola Phoenix reports, the Office of Equity and Compliance released the 2026 Clery Report on Oct. 6, and it represents double the number of rape cases reported in 2024. Beyond rape, the report documented seven fondling cases, six domestic-violence cases and 12 stalking cases for 2025.
What the Numbers Do and Don't Show
The Clery Report is required under federal law to document crimes reported on or around campus, using crime definitions drawn from the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System. But the statistics carry an important caveat: they do not indicate whether reported cases have been adjudicated or resolved, and each entry simply counts an incident every time it is reported to the university.
Timothy Love, Loyola's Title IX coordinator under the Office of Equity and Compliance, said Clery data has real limits for understanding the scope of gender-based violence because its crime definitions are restrictive. The report also noted that stalking incidents occurring on campus between 8 p.m. and midnight increased from 2024 to 2025, as did burglary and motor-vehicle-theft counts excluding electric scooters or bikes.
Other Campus Crime Figures for 2025
On the Lake Shore Campus, Loyola recorded four burglaries, three motor-vehicle thefts and 154 referrals for liquor-law violations in 2025. The report separates property into three categories for Clery purposes: on-campus locations, public property on or adjacent to campus, and off-campus property owned or controlled by Loyola or a student organization. Zero instances of hazing were reported for 2025 under the Stop Campus Hazing Act's reporting requirement, the same report shows.
Universities can withhold or remove a reported crime from their count only when law enforcement determines, after investigation, that the report was unfounded — court decisions and findings from juries or similar noncampus officials cannot compel a school to withhold the numbers. A year earlier, Loyola's 2023 Clery report had recorded 12 burglaries on the Lake Shore Campus, which the Phoenix's reporting attributed to campus safety administrative commander Tim Cunningham as tied to a single suspect arrested earlier that semester. That same 2023 report showed reported rape cases rising from four to five on the Lake Shore Campus and from zero to two on the Water Tower Campus.
How Loyola Handles a Report
Students who experience sexual assault have several paths available once they come forward. Loyola uses two formal processes to address gender-based violence: the Title IX Grievance Process, which covers sexual-harassment cases meeting Title IX guidelines and includes a formal complaint investigation, a live hearing, a written determination and applicable appeals; and the Equitable Resolution Process, which addresses discrimination, non-Title IX sexual misconduct and other gender-based violence, including incidents that happen off campus. The latter can involve up to three phases — investigation, administrative resolution and appeal — and results in a finding of responsible or not responsible. Students found responsible can face sanctions ranging from mandated training to suspension or expulsion, per the same report.
Cunningham said campus safety officers ask whether students want to sign a complaint, which is equivalent to pressing charges and involves speaking with a Chicago Police Department detective. He said officers try to gather basic information and connect students with resources rather than requiring them to repeat a traumatic experience. The Line, Loyola's confidential advocacy service for students affected by gender-based violence, can help students weigh their options without formally involving the university or police; it's reachable at 773-494-3810 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 24/7 on weekends while classes are in session.
Students Weigh In on Prevention Training
Loyola requires first-year students to complete in-person active bystander training in early September as well as an online module called U Got This!, which covers consent and alcohol's effects. Some students told the Phoenix the training leaves gaps. Elizabeth Warful, a first-year political science major, said the training should focus less on basic definitions and more on resources, procedures and handling difficult situations. Trinity De Leon, a first-year forensic science major, said the training could use more specific survivor stories, while Miley Podgorski, a first-year social work major, said having to communicate with an accused offender can add stress to the reporting process.
Loyola also conducts its Speak Up survey every other year to shape policy and prevention initiatives, with the most recent results released in 2024. In that survey, roughly 13.2% of respondents reported experiencing sexual violence in the previous 12 months, and 58% reported sexual harassment or discrimination in that same period.
A Lawsuit Still Looms Over 2019
The report's framing of 2025 as the highest rape count since 2019 carries added weight because of a lawsuit still working through the courts. Ten women filed suit against Loyola in 2022 alleging systemic mishandling and underreporting of student sexual-misconduct complaints, citing the university's 2019 rape cases; that lawsuit remains ongoing, with a court date set for September 2027. Three Loyola students told the Phoenix in 2019 that the Office of Equity and Compliance allowed a person accused of raping all three of them to remain on campus for five months during the investigation.
Liv Hodapp, a first-year biochemistry major, said hearing about how the 2019 cases were handled discouraged her from choosing Loyola. The university said it does not comment on pending litigation or active investigations in order to protect the integrity of the legal system and the privacy of those involved, adding that it prioritizes student safety and responds promptly and equitably to sexual-misconduct reports consistent with its legal and ethical responsibilities.
A Pattern Beyond Loyola's Campus
Loyola isn't alone in showing a jump in reported cases this reporting cycle. According to the Daily Northwestern, Northwestern's Evanston campus reported rape cases more than doubling from four to nine in 2025, while stalking cases rose from eight to 14 and dating-violence reports jumped from five to 30 — though 22 of those 30 dating-violence reports stemmed from a single report describing events over time. Northwestern's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance separately logged a 4.5% increase in Title IX and sexual-misconduct complaints for the 2024-25 academic year, even as overall complaint reports at the university fell 17.3%, from 688 to 569.
Students or others seeking to report a crime at Loyola can reach Campus Safety at 773-508-7233. University students seeking help with the legal process after an assault can also contact [email protected], and the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 800-656-4673, with the National Domestic Violence Hotline reachable at 800-799-7233.
