Federal Fines Against University of Montana Reduced to $395K

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education has reduced the fines against the University of Montana for reporting "inaccurate and misleading" crime statistics from 2012 to 2015. The Missoulian reports the university announced that its federal fines have been reduced from about $966,000 to $395,000. The university was found in violation of the Clery Act, which requires schools that receive federal funding to give accurate crime statistics. University President Seth Bodnar said in a campus-wide email last week that the university has taken steps to "institute better processes for data collection, classification of crimes and accurate reporting of our statistical information." He noted that the issue did not involve the "university's efforts around prevention and response to crime." The university will make monthly payments through January 2024.