What Betsy DeVos' New Rule Means for Sexual Assault Survivors in Community Colleges

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Last week, the Secretary of Education, Betsy Of yours published a draft regulation on Title IX, which would allow schools to get away with it for mishandling complaints of sexual violence. "Data-reactid =" 22 "> Last week, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a draft regulation on Title IX that would leave schools to escape any mishandling complaints of sexual violence.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The phrase" sexual assault in a college " evokes nightmarish experiences in dormitories and ivy-covered fraternal dwellings, and this is certainly where some of these assaults occur, but the DeVos settlement would also have devastating effects on college students 42% of all undergraduate students in the United States. "data-reactid =" 23 "> The phrase" sexual assault in colleges "evokes nightmarish experiences in dormitories and fraternal housing covered with ivy, and it is certainly there that some of these assaults are the impact on community college students, who make up 42% of all undergraduate students in the United States.

<p class = "web-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The new rule would allow community colleges and other schools to ignore the violence that occurs outside of their programs and activities, even when this violence harms the survivor's education, which means that schools would not be required to investigate and provide support to an abused survivor in her off-campus apartment by a student in her biology class, which would have particularly serious consequences for community college students, many do not live on campus or are enrolled part-time. In fact, the crisis of sexual assault in colleges is particularly acute in suburban schools, where the environment around the immediate campus can be a high-risk area of ​​sexual assault and criminal harassment . "Data-reactid =" 24 "> The new rule would allow the community colleges and other schools not to take into account the violence that occurs outside their programs and activities, even when this violence harms education of the survivor, which means that schools would not be required to investigate and provide support to a survivor who was abused as a student in her biology program, which would have particularly serious consequences for community college students , many of whom do not live on campus or are enrolled part-time.In fact, the crisis of sexual assault in colleges is particularly serious in suburban schools., where the environment around the immediate campus can be a place at high risk of sexual assault and criminal harassment.

Schools would not be required to investigate and support a victim who was assaulted in his off-campus apartment by a student in his biology class.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "In addition, the new policy would only require schools to investigate sure the most extreme forms of harassment and aggression. It is possible that a student who is afraid to attend a class while his or her stalker is waiting for him at the door would not have rights under the proposed amendments to Title IX. And as the American Civil Liberties Union notea school would be obliged to act only when sexual violence or harassment would completely deprive the student of access to education. "data-reactid =" 27 "> In addition, the new policy would require schools to investigate only the most extreme forms of harassment.It is possible that a student who fears attending a class while his harasser l waiting in front of the door would not have rights under the proposed amendments to Title IX and, as noted by the American Civil Liberties Union, a school would be required to act when sexual violence or harassment completely impede the student to access education.

This would be a significant set back of victims' rights. At the present time, schools are supposed to help victims when harassment hampers or limits their access to education, for example when a student is struggling to maintain his grades or is afraid of being in school. 39, attend a session. class where their attacker is present. If DeVos succeeds, students would be forced to suffer repeated and ever-increasing abuse without being able to ask for help at their school. Thus, a student whose harasser expects his class outside the classroom will not be eligible for help from his school if he abandons the class or if he leaves it completely.

<p class = "canvas-atom-text-canvas Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "It's easy to see how the proposed rule installs where the Ministry of Education would need a school to intervene, a survivor might have already had to abandon a prerequisite course that would allow him to finish his studies or to pass his bachelor's degree in a four-year institution even if a survivor has his diploma or transfer, the trauma of his school's betrayal will persist. engender mistrust with subsequent academic institutionsand survivors may be less likely to report to their new college. "data-reactid =" 29 "> It's easy to see how the proposed rule creates a failure for community college students.At the time the Department of Intervention Education, a survivor might already have had to drop out of a prerequisite course that would allow him to finish his studies or to complete his bachelor's degree in a four-year-old institution, and even if a survivor had obtained his diploma or transfer, the trauma of their school's betrayal would continue. Institutional abuse experience can lead to mistrust of subsequent academic institutions, and victims may be less likely to report to their new college.

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It got worse. The Ministry of Education would also prohibit schools from removing abusers from the spaces they share with survivors during the course of the investigation. As a result, victims will bear the burden of withdrawing from classes for fear of meeting their abusers regularly. This will particularly affect community college survivors, as course flexibility, such as evening classes and part-time enrollments, is essential to balancing courses, employment, childcare and other commitments. If a student can not find a different time slot for a class that he shares with an abuser, he may be forced to withdraw or re-enroll in a different semester. And Title IX, a law designed to protect victims of sexual violence, has been the reason for their failures in education.