VCU president: Title IX reversal doesn’t change our legal responsibilities
Photo by Casey Cole.
VCU Pres. Michael Rao responded to the Department of Education’s new guidelines on dealing with sexual assault this morning, saying the new instructions do not change the university’s legal responsibilities.
In a statement, Rao said VCU “maintains its inexorable commitment to the safety, security and success of all of our people.”
Title IX training will continue to be mandatory for faculty, staff and students, Rao said. The university will also maintain policies aimed at equity as well as its grievance procedures. The statement did not make clear, however, whether the new guidelines mean the university will change anything about its approach to handling sexual assault cases.
The DOE withdrew the Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence from 2011, and the Questions and Answers on Title IX Sexual Violence from 2014 — Reversing the Obama administration’s policy.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter, DeVos said schools should continue to tackle the issue of campus sexual assault, but the process must be “fair and impartial, giving everyone more confidence in its outcomes.”
Fadel Allassan Contributing Writer
