Betsy DeVos unveils new Title IX rules: Are they aimed at "silencing survivors"? | Salon.com

Betsy DeVos unveils new Title IX rules: Are they aimed at "silencing survivors"? | Salon.com

Betsy DeVos unveils new Title IX rules: Are they aimed at "silencing survivors"?
New federal guidelines may make it harder to report sexual assault or harassment, and reduce investigations

After three years of combative deliberations, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released controversial new rules on Wednesday governing how schools administer allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, rules that the department, by its own admission, designed in part to suppress accusations nationwide.

The Title IX overhaul mandates that schools adopt a formal and open disciplinary process that resembles a criminal trial — including cross-examination in open hearings — and affords new protections for students accused of assault or misconduct, including a presumption of innocence and the right to review any and all evidence against them.

The guidance goes into effect in August.

Legal experts and victims' rights advocates decry the new rules, arguing they will have a chilling effect on complaints. The department effectively agrees: In what seems an instance of saying the quiet part out loud, DOE admits that the changes could reduce the number of investigations, thereby saving schools millions of dollars.

Republicans characterize the changes as enhancing victims' rights. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, said in a statement that the revision "respects and supports victims and preserves due process rights for both the victim and the CONTINUE READING: Betsy DeVos unveils new Title IX rules: Are they aimed at "silencing survivors"? | Salon.com