WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Friday the decision to withdraw Obama-era guidance on how to investigate and adjudicate allegations of campus sexual misconduct.
The move by DeVos comes as she previously argued the guidelines instituted under former President Barack Obama denied proper due process to those accused.
DeVos announced the release of an interim Q&A to help schools respond to allegations of sexual assault while a formal review is conducted.
The interim guidance includes raising the standard of proof for school disciplinary proceedings, addressing a major criticism of the Obama-era guidelines.
'Schools must continue to confront these horrific crimes and behaviors head-on. There will be no more sweeping them under the rug,' DeVos said. 'But the process also must be fair and impartial, giving everyone more confidence in its outcomes.'
A statement from the Education Department claimed the Obama-era guidelines ignored notice and comment requirements, created a system that lacked basic elements of due process and failed to ensure fundamental fairness.
DeVos said the department will hear from survivors, campus administrators, parents, students and experts on sexual misconduct in the coming months as they develop new guidelines.
However, Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, claimed the interim guidance will have a devastating impact on students and schools.
'It will discourage students from reporting assaults, create uncertainty for schools on how to follow the law, and make campuses less safe,' Graves said.
'Hundreds of thousands of parents, students, alumnae, and school officials know what's at risk and have strongly urged the department to keep the guidance in place,' she added. 'It's reckless to ignore these voices.'
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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