Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
In 2011, President Obama issued guidelines on Title IX laws on how colleges should handle sexual assault given national concerns that schools were not taking enough action on these types of cases. This put pressure on campus administrations nationwide to address sexual violence and increase investigations of reports. Critics of the policy claimed that Obama's guidance was biased towards the accusers, and unfairly lowered the standard for proving the allegations were true despite the FBI reporting the number of false sexual-assault reports as between 2 to 10 percent. Now, Trump-appointed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has begun the process to roll back the Obama-era Title IX guidance.In her announcement at George Mason University, DeVos stated, "The truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students." DeVos went on to say, "Survivors, victims of a lack of due process and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved."Secretary DeVos said she'll be taking public input on how to move forward. In the meantime, there are a few immediate actions you can take if you're concerned by Secretary DeVos's plans to rewrite the guidelines.DeVos tapped lawyer Candice Jackson to head the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in April despite Jackson's prior complaints of being discriminated against for being white. According to ProPublica, Jackson, who hasn't had much experience in civil rights litigation, has been a vocal opponent of feminism and race-based meritocracy. Civil rights advocates feel that Jackson may lack the sympathy for working with underserved communities.
Advertisement
What You Can Do:
- Use #StopBetsy on social media to send a loud and clear message in support of survivors and defend Title IX.
- Support PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) by joining in their #ConsentIs campaign, which promotes consent in schools and communities.
- Check out EROC's (End Rape On Campus) campaign #DearBetsy to call the Department of Education or share a video explaining why the Obama-era guidance needs to be left alone.
- Start or join a petition on Change.org or MoveOn.org to the Dept of Education and demand that they keep the 2011 guidelines intact.
And Then Some:
Jackson's selection doesn't bode well for DeVos's track record for protecting marginalized communities in schools. Earlier this year, DeVos rolled back another Title IX protection put in place by President Obama that allowed trans students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity.Tweet @VICEImpact to let us know what you think about the Department of Education rolling back Title IX protections.