The University of Montana is facing a $966,614 penalty for reporting "inaccurate and misleading" crime statistics — on everything from liquor violations to rape — from 2012 to 2015, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Education.
UM’s fine appears to be one of the highest on record for campus security issues, after the nearly $2.4 million fine levied against Pennsylvania State University, according to a federal database with statistics from 2010 to 2017 and an earlier announcement from the Department of Education.
UM will appeal the dollar amount even though it concurs with the findings, said communications director Paula Short. She noted that the fine is based on data that UM itself reclassified after a request from the department.
"U of M doesn't dispute the data changes, as we're the ones that made those," Short said. "We stand by that piece. We feel like the magnitude of the fine is something we want to discuss with the DOE, and we are going to exercise our avenues to do that as outlined in the letter."
