Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rescinded an Obama-era sexual misconduct policy Thursday, and implemented new interim guidelines for how campuses can handle sexual misconduct.
The Department of Education revoked policies that it previously criticized for denying accused students their due process rights, reported Politico. The department also released a new Q&A for colleges to use before the institution of a new policy.
“This interim guidance will help schools as they work to combat sexual misconduct and will treat all students fairly,” DeVos said in the press release. “Schools must continue to confront these horrific crimes and behaviors head-on. There will be no more sweeping them under the rug. But the process also must be fair and impartial, giving everyone more confidence in its outcomes.”
The Department of Education rescinded both the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence and the 2014 Questions and Answers on Title IX Sexual Violence, documents which it claims impaired due process.
The interim Q&A stresses impartial treatment of parties involved in sexual misconduct cases, and also argues that schools, not the involved parties, are responsible for collecting evidence.
“As I said earlier this month, the era of rule by letter is over,” DeVos said. “The Department of Education will follow the proper legal procedures to craft a new Title IX regulation that better serves students and schools.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to the Education Department for comment, but received none in time for publication.
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