U.S. can’t roll back on Title IX

In a recent speech at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced the Department of Education will change its approach to sexual misconduct on campuses and introduce new regulations. Specifically, the 1972 federal law, Title IX, prohibits sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. Under former President Barack Obama, the law expanded to protect women from sexual assault and harassment.

DeVos says they will start a public notice process to replace the current process and repeatedly emphasized the rights of both the victims and accused students. In her speech, DeVos placed blame on the Obama administration, saying the “failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach.” The announcement was immediately met with criticism from Title IX supporters. In response, 29 senators sent an open letter to DeVos regarding the plan to rescind Title IX guidelines, calling it “a step in the wrong direction in addressing the national epidemic of campus sexual assault.”

It would indeed be counterproductive to not be doing everything possible to prevent campus sexual assault. Studies from the antisexual-violence group Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network show that among undergraduate students, 23 percent of women and 5 percent of men are victims of sexual assault.

Only 20 percent of college women report the assault to law enforcement, potentially leaving the door open for perpetrators to freely repeat the same offense without repercussions. If the Trump administration wants to send a strong message about preventing campus sexual assault, then rolling back the guidelines is the wrong approach.