U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has done away with Obama-era rules on how schools should deal with sexual assaults under federal Title IX law Friday.
DeVos announced earlier this month that the U.S. Department of Education was concerned that the Obama-era guidance denied due process to those accused of sexual assault.
As part of the interim guidance, the department released a Q&A that outlines how schools should respond, including guidance on what schools should do in allegations and flexibility in establishing their own rules.
"This interim guidance will help schools as they work to combat sexual misconduct and will treat all students fairly," said DeVos. "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 Trump administration is formally rescinding former President Barack Obama's "dear colleague letter," that DeVos criticized as an overstep. The standard of proof has been raised for school disciplanary procedings.
It remains the responsibility of the school to investigate rather than to leave the matter to law enforcement.
The new guidance affects universities, colleges and K-12 schools.
