Democratic Senators Condemn Betsy DeVos’ Final Title IX Rule

Udall, Heinrich, Urge DeVos to Rescind Harmful Title IX Rule and Focus on Student Safety

by Carol A. Clark/Los Alamos Daily Post

SENATE News:

• Secretary DeVos’ new rule governing how schools handle allegations of sexual harassment and assault will weaken protections for survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with 35 Democratic senators, are condemning Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ final Title IX rule, which will weaken protections for student survivors of sexual harassment and assault.

In a letter to Secretary DeVos, the senators stressed that it was inappropriate to ask schools to implement this new rule within 100 days amid the COVID-19 crisis and urged her to rescind the rule and focus on school safety—whether the threat is sexual assault and harassment or COVID-19.

“Not only does your misguided rule make it harder for students to report sexual assault and harassment, and create confusion for schools about their responsibilities, but the timing of the rule is completely inappropriate in light of the COVID-19 crisis. As schools across the country remain closed and struggle to continue supporting students, while also working to understand how to reopen and provide services safely, asking them to implement this rule in 100 days is grossly unfair and unrealistic,” wrote the senators. “We urge you to prioritize students’ safety, revoke the final rule, and instead work to help make schools across the country safer for all students, whether the threat is sexual assault and harassment or COVID-19.”

Secretary DeVos’ final rule on Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the landmark civil rights law which governs how schools handle allegations of sexual harassment and assault, will weaken protections for survivors by:

• Narrowing the definition of sexual harassment and assault;
• Preventing schools from investigating instances that occur during a study abroad program, or are outside their programs or activities, including those that occur off-campus or online;
• Requiring schools to dismiss complaints if the complainants are no longer students—even if they dropped out or transferred due to the harassment;
• Allowing schools to avoid liability by claiming they have no knowledge of instances of harassment of assault—even when they reasonably should have known about them;
• Allowing schools to avoid liability if survivors report to the wrong person; and
• Singling out harassment and assault as the only kind of misconduct to require live-hearings with direct cross-examination—even though many survivors have indicated that this would have prevented them from coming forward.

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Carol Duff, MSN, BA, RN

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.

She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.

• Carol’s Archives 2009-2013