Montana
Federal Office for Civil Rights officials to visit Montana State University – Daily Montanan
Montana State University received notice last week the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating a third discrimination complaint against the Bozeman flagship.
The Jan. 25 notification letter to MSU President Waded Cruzado said the Office for Civil Rights will investigate whether the university discriminated against a student by failing to respond to reports of sex-based harassment by another student last school year.
MSU is also under investigation for failing to respond appropriately to reports of discrimination against female students; students and others of Jewish origin; and members of the Queer Straight Alliance, a group that supports LGBTQ+ students on campus.
Next week, officials with the Office for Civil Rights will be on campus as part of the federal probe. The Office for Civil Rights alerted MSU last semester of the earlier investigations in two separate letters.
The Office for Civil Rights enforces regulations that prohibit discrimination, including on the basis of national origin and on the basis of sex, against educational institutions that receive federal money.
MSU provided the Daily Montanan notification of the third investigation in response to a request Tuesday from the news outlet about additional notices from the Office for Civil Rights and questions about the upcoming site visit.
Tuesday, MSU administrators also sent emails to campus announcing the visit from the Office for Civil Rights next week.
One from President Cruzado was addressed to the MSU Community. It said officers from the Office for Civil Rights would visit the campus Feb. 5-8 to “gather information regarding the university’s policies and practices for addressing discrimination.”
“OCR gathers information in a variety of ways, including meeting with students in forums and with invited faculty and staff in individual meetings regarding their experiences — positive or negative — on campus,” said the letter from Cruzado. “To that point, OCR is asking to meet a wide representation of MSU students, faculty and staff in individual sessions and/or as part of group sessions.”
The letter also said “attendance and participation for in-person sessions is conducted by invitation only.” The president encouraged people who receive invitations to attend.
In the letter, Cruzado also said members of the public may provide written comments or call an investigator, attorney or paralegal specialist with the federal agency.
“We welcome the U.S. Department of Education’s OCR officers to Montana State University, and we look forward to their input and recommendations,” Cruzado said in the letter.
A separate letter to students from the vice president for student success outlined times representatives from OCR would visit with students, with separate times slotted for students of different years and one reserved for all students.
“During the visit, OCR will hold a series of group sessions with students to gather information regarding their experiences with the university’s policies and practices for addressing discrimination based on race, color, national origin (including shared ancestry), sex, and LGBTQ+ identity on campus,” the letter said. “Students are encouraged to participate in scheduled group sessions. Attendance and participation is limited to current Montana State University students.”
In October, the Office for Civil Rights informed MSU it had received more than 20 complaints alleging the university failed to respond to threats against the Queer Straight Alliance the previous semester.
Alexandra Lin, who is studying wetland biology at MSU, had led a campaign to encourage students to report allegations of discrimination to the federal agency last year after experiencing it herself and seeing friends experience it.
Lin had urged students to reach out to the federal agency as opposed to the campus office that investigates discrimination because she found MSU’s response to her own case to be inadequate.
As a result, students filed complaints about MSU’s response to threats last year against the Queer Straight Alliance — including a death threat MSU found was not a credible threat of violence. They also filed unrelated discrimination complaints.
Lin said Tuesday the Office for Civil Rights has requested help with contact information for previous student government leaders, although OCR did not share the reason with her.
The email Tuesday from Cruzado also included a Frequently Asked Questions section. Among other questions, it addressed “With whom is OCR meeting?” and “What will we learn from this process?”
In response to the first question, MSU said OCR is meeting with a select group of MSU students.
“In order to protect the privacy of students, faculty and staff, the university is not disclosing the identities of MSU community members who have been invited to meet with OCR representatives,” said MSU in its answer.
As for what it will learn, MSU said it has been working to adopt best practices in addressing discrimination.
“And we have confidence that we are making substantial progress,” the university said.
The Daily Montanan had asked MSU if it was doing anything differently following the allegations of discrimination, and MSU did not offer specifics.
“MSU’s policies, procedures and practices have been developed in accordance with the law and federal guidance,” said MSU spokesperson Michael Becker in an email. “MSU is cooperating and assisting in the process as OCR evaluates the institutional compliance with federal regulations.
“OCR has not issued any findings indicating that MSU’s responses have been lacking. MSU is strongly committed to fostering a campus that’s conducive to learning and free from discrimination and harassment.”
Tuesday, MSU declined to answer a question from the Daily Montanan about which members of the administration had meetings with officials from the Office for Civil Rights and whether President Cruzado would meet with them.
Students and some faculty have said under the leadership of Cruzado, MSU has allowed conservative politics and money in Montana to influence the campus’ response to issues that can be seen as sensitive, such as discrimination, to the detriment of student safety.
“Montana State University welcomes the OCR site visit to campus and we look forward to collaborating in any way we can,” Becker said. “So as to not interfere with OCR’s work, we are deferring this question to them.”
A press officer for the Department of Education did not have a response from its Office for Civil Rights on Tuesday in time for this story.
Although newly minted GOP candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have garnered heavyweight endorsements, the Montana Republican Party said Thursday it won’t throw its support behind any candidates for federal office in the primary.
“The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) stands behind its deep bench of qualified candidates seeking to represent Montanans and supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates,” the Montana GOP said in a news release Thursday.
Monday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he was retiring due to health concerns once his term ends, and he immediately tapped talk-show host Aaron Flint as his preferred successor in Congress.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski also filed for the U.S. House as Republicans, as did Ray Curtis of Bonner.
Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew, and in a statement the same night, announced an endorsement of former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who had filed the same day.
In the Senate, Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child also filed to run in the Republican primary.
Endorsements for Flint and Alme cascaded. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed both candidates, and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte threw their weight behind Flint and Alme.
Late on Wednesday, the Montana GOP did not immediately have comment on the news Daines, Montana’s senior U.S. senator, had resigned, but Thursday, the party thanked Zinke and Daines for their service.
A news release said the party would not endorse any candidates in the federal primary and would leave the job in the hands of voters.
“The party hopes every candidate will make their case to the public, contrasting their Republican policies and principles with those of Democrats — as well as phony ‘Independents,’” the news release said.
Former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced a run for the U.S. Senate as an independent this week.
A tension within the Republican party has emerged in recent years between hardline conservatives and more moderate members, and some legislative primaries illustrate the split.
This week, the state GOP said the number of primaries for state legislative seats shows a high interest from Montanans who want to serve the state and pass Republican policy, and the MTGOP “is glad to see so many Republicans being called to public service.”
In a brief call, MTGOP spokesperson Ethan Holmes said the party had not ruled out endorsements in legislative primaries.
In the news release, however, the MTGOP offered its view of the larger political debate.
“Montana voters know that beyond the primaries, there is a clear choice between Republican and Democratic governance; one path leads to lower taxes, less crime and stronger families, and the other leads to higher taxes, more crime, and social decay,” MTGOP Chairperson Art Wittich said in a statement.
The news release also said the state GOP is working “tirelessly to deliver a Bright Red Future” at both the state and federal level and looks forward to help candidates whom voters select win in November.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing
33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 4 drawing
01-07-08-27, Bonus: 12
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing
05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 4 drawing
03-04-06-08-10
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing
12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Top prospect decommits from North Dakota, considering Michigan State
Two Ohio men arrested on drug charges in Raleigh County after traffic stop
Kansas State women’s basketball stuns Oklahoma State, moves on to Big 12 semis
Keizer city councilor fined $500 by Oregon ethics commission
Cause determined for plane crash that killed school board president in Chester County
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Appeals court declares DC ban on certain gun magazines unconstitutional
‘No deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,’ Trump says
A dead woman’s key fob and two grisly crime scenes: How the Utah triple-murder suspect was tracked across state lines | CNN
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin5 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Maryland6 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling