An SDSU student is questioning whether the university’s handling of a Title IX report involving sexually explicit content in an online class aligns with SDSU’s stated commitment to enforcing Title IX protections.
On Oct. 26, 2025, Sachiko Stewart, a Global Campus student, said she discovered a video uploaded by a classmate that she said appeared to show the student nude from the hips down. According to email records, the video was originally uploaded three days prior — on Oct. 23 at 10:15 p.m.
In an email sent to the course instructor, Stewart wrote that while reviewing classmates’ introductory discussion posts, she saw this student’s video, in which she said the student appeared partially nude and engaging in conduct involving his exposed genital area.
She reported the post through Canvas and requested its removal.
The course instructor responded that afternoon, writing, “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
According to Stewart, the video remained accessible to students until approximately 12:19 p.m. on Oct. 27, almost a full day later. The university did not independently confirm the exact time the video was removed.
Later that same day, Stewart submitted a report to SDSU’s Center for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, which oversees Title IX compliance.
On Oct. 27, a coordinator from SDSU’s Title IX office confirmed receipt of the report and stated that the office had reached out to the professor to ensure the video was taken down.
In a subsequent email, they wrote that the matter had been referred to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities, which determines the appropriate course of action in student-related incidents.
According to Stewart, the student remained enrolled in the course for the remainder of the Fall 2025 semester and continued to post public video discussions, though nothing he posted after that was explicit. She said she was not informed of any disciplinary action taken. The university declined to comment on any potential disciplinary action, citing federal student privacy laws.
Stewart also filed a report with the SDSU Police Department.
According to Stewart’s email records, which were shared with the Daily Aztec, campus police later informed her that the case was closed after the student said the exposure was accidental.
In a request for comment, the student accused of posting the video told the Daily Aztec that he was sincerely sorry for the harm, confusion and distress he caused.
“I deeply regret what happened,” he wrote in an email. “Although the exposure in the video was unintentional, I understand that intent does not erase impact. I accept responsibility for submitting the video without properly reviewing it beforehand.”
He went on to reiterate that the exposure was a “careless but honest mistake” and said he did not intend for anything inappropriate to appear on Canvas and did not knowingly submit such material. He said he submitted the video quickly before the deadline without reviewing it carefully.
“That was my responsibility, and I failed to take the care I should have taken,” his statement reads in part. “At the same time, I understand how someone viewing the video without context could have been upset or alarmed. I reportedly adjusted myself during the video, which may have contributed to how the situation was interpreted. I regret that my carelessness created that impression and caused distress.”
The student also said he cooperated fully with the investigating parties and was formally disciplined and he understands that the incident will affect his academic record and future career aspirations in criminal justice. “I do not believe it is accurate or just for an honest mistake, however serious, to define my character or future as though it were intentional predatory conduct,” he wrote.
Stewart, however, still has questions about what happened.
“Canvas makes you review your video before submitting it… I don’t understand how you can fully see some part of yourself naked in the camera and still accidentally post it,” she said.
The university describes its Title IX process as one designed to ensure a safe learning environment and to address reports of sexual misconduct promptly and equitably.
“It would stress me out to see his name in class,” said Stewart. “In fact, I had another student reach out to me after everything happened, worried about him being in a different one of her classes.”
In December, Stewart contacted Selene Rios, the dean of Global Campus, requesting a formal administrative review of how the matter was handled.
In email responses dated Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, Rios wrote that it was the first she had heard of the incident and that she would confer with central campus leadership and the Title IX office. They connected Stewart with the Office of the Dean of Students.
The interim dean of students wrote in a Dec. 18 email that SDSU was aware of the report and that “appropriate university processes are actively being followed,” adding that federal student privacy laws limit what information can be disclosed, even to reporting parties.
Stewart said her concerns extend beyond the initial posting of the video to what she views as a lack of transparency and preventative measures in online academic spaces. It is unclear whether the university determined that a policy violation occurred, but the student said in his statement to The Daily Aztec that he was “formally disciplined” and “fully cooperated with campus police, the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities, the Office of the Dean and other groups.”