Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is preparing new policies on campus sexual misconduct that bolster the rights of those accused of assault, harassment or rape, reduce the schools’ liability and encourage more victim support, The New York Times reported.
According to the Times, the proposed rules narrow the definition of sex harassment — and hold schools accountable only for formal complaints filed through proper authorities for conduct that took place on campus.
They would also establish a higher legal standard to determine whether schools improperly addressed complaints, the Times reported.
Higher education administrators have long complained that Obama administration rules were burdensome and had little to do with assault or harassment, the Times reported. Men’s rights group criticized the rules for providing little recourse for the accused.
The new rules will have the force of law and can go into effect without congressional action after a public comment period, the Times reported.
“The truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students,” DeVos said in September 2017 when she rolled back the Obama-era rules. “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.”
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