Missouri State University hired Jill Patterson as its first full-time Title IX coordinator to serve as the university’s subject-matter expert on requirements of and compliance with Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act and related federal and state laws.
Patterson will be responsible for investigating and ensuring timely resolution of all reports of sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking involving members of the university community.
“Missouri State University has always been committed to preventing and swiftly and fairly investigating any type of sexual misconduct on campus,” said Missouri State President Clifton M. Smart III. “Hiring an employee dedicated to this full time shows our commitment to having a safe campus.
“We’re excited to welcome Jill Patterson to the university. With her experience investigating and prosecuting cases involving sex offenses and child abuse, she will be able to take our education, prevention and investigation of sexual misconduct to the next level.”
Patterson, who was elected to the Springfield Public School Board in April, is currently an attorney with Keck & Austin, LLC. She served as the chief legal counsel for the Greene County Sheriff’s office in 2011 and 2012 and has taught classes in the criminology and criminal justice and psychology departments at Missouri State between 2008 and 2013.
Patterson was an assistant Greene County prosecuting attorney for 15 years, focusing on the areas of domestic violence, child physical and sexual abuse, assaults and sexual assaults. Prior to that, she was an assistant public defender for two years.
She was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board in 2013 and has served on numerous local boards. Patterson has a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.