New U.S. Sexual Misconduct Rules Bolster Rights of Accused and Protect Colleges

[DonViejo]

Source: The New York Times



By Erica L. Green
Aug. 29, 2018

WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is preparing new policies on campus sexual misconduct that would bolster the rights of students accused of assault, harassment or rape, lessen liability for institutions of higher education and encourage schools to provide more support for victims.

The proposed rules, obtained by The New York Times, narrow the definition of sexual harassment, holding schools accountable only for formal complaints filed through proper authorities and for conduct said to have occurred on their campuses. They would also establish a higher legal standard to determine whether schools improperly addressed complaints.

The new rules would come at a particularly sensitive time, as major institutions such as Ohio State University, the University of Southern California and Michigan State University deal with explosive charges that members of their faculty and staff have perpetrated serious sexual misconduct. But for several years, higher education administrators have maintained that sexual misconduct rules pressed by the Obama administration unnecessarily burdened them with bureaucratic mandates that had little to do with assault or harassment, and men’s rights groups have said the accused have had little recourse.

Unlike the Obama administration’s guidance documents, the Trump administration’s new rules will have the force of law and can go into force without an act of Congress, after a public comment period.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/us/politics/devos-campus-sexual-assault.html

[montanacowboy]

1. Well of Course She Is

worthless piece of shit

[Racerdog1]

2. Ditzy DeVos

Goofy asshole has no clue. Only what the orange fucktard tells this POS scamway skank.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. RepubliCONMEN war on women. Betsy DeVos is a CONMAN (despite her sex). . . . nt

[pazzyanne]

4. Who woke her up?

More sleeping powder in her tea. Actually, she isn't the one coming up with this crap. Someone who is in charge of ALL the evil policies has been a busy boy. No one person could be destroying this country so quickly on their own.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. A Set Of Rules Without A Purpose

Exactly what is the benefit derived from these "new rules"?

Obviously it negatively affects the aggrieved, but who benefits in any way other than the truly guilty?

[Bayard]

6. The wealthy college kids who should get off scott-free?

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Like I Said

The truly guilty. But, that isn't much of a benefit the government should be fomenting.

[EddieA]

11. The wrongly accused.

Not that it's her primary motive in these new regulations.

[radicalliberal]

8. What about the rights of the victims?

Could it possibly be true that the backlash against rape victims stems from the fact that some of the rapists belong to certain groups at the top of the social hierarchy; i.e., fraternities and certain sports teams? I wonder.

[niyad]

9. and ther war on women continues apace.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Amid 'Epidemic' of Campus Sexual Assault, Women's Groups Decry Rollback of Protections by 'See No Ev

Published on Thursday, August 30, 2018
by Common Dreams
Amid 'Epidemic' of Campus Sexual Assault, Women's Groups Decry Rollback of Protections by 'See No Evil Betsy Devos'
"These new rules further protect abusers in a system that is already rigged in their favor."

byCommon Dreams staff

Women rights groups and victim advocates expressed outrage on Thursday following reports that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has plans to weaken federal protections for sexual assault survivors on U.S. campuses—reducing liability for school administrators and increasing protections for accused sexual predators.

The proposed rules, first reported by The New York Times, narrow the definition of sexual harassment to mean "unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity."

Toni Van Pelt, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), responded by saying the new rules turn the "government's response to assault, harassment, and rape upside down," and gave the name "See No Evil Betsy DeVos" to the secretary.

"Under the Obama guidelines, schools could rely on the lowest standard of proof, or the 'preponderance of evidence' when deciding whether or not an alleged perpetrator should be punished for sexual misconduct," Van Pelt explained. "But in Betsy DeVos’ upside-down land, schools could decide which level of evidence to rely on when investigating misconduct, narrow the definition of sexual harassment, and only be accountable for complaints which are formally filed."

More:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/08/30/amid-epidemic-campus-sexual-assault-womens-groups-decry-rollback-protections-see-no