White House Rush to Change Rules to Protect the Accused Leaves Campus Sexual Assault Victims on Sidelines

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is moving in the wrong direction by imposing new standards for combating sexual violence on college campuses.She said in July that she'd launch a listening tour before scrapping federal guidelines put in place in 2011 to ensure that universities comply with Title XI obligations regarding rape, assault and harassment. She indicated earlier this month that she'd wait to impose new guidance until after a notice-and-comment process.Yet, she announced last week that schools are now free to demand "clear and convincing evidence" before punishing students accused of sexual assault, rather than the current standard known as a "preponderance of evidence."Disturbingly, DeVos continues to show she's more about dissolving protections than safeguarding victims.   Continue reading...