New campus sexual assault rules give accused students more rights, Betsy DeVos says – CBS News

Under the new guidelines, the definition of sexual harassment is narrowed to consist of just misbehavior that is “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” that it efficiently denies the victim access to the school’s education programs. Under the new rules, the Education Department will likewise utilize a various standard to figure out if schools responded appropriately to a student’s grievance. Advocacy groups for victims say the Obama rules forced schools to stop sweeping the problem under the rug, while those supporting implicated students stated it tipped the scales in favor of accusers.

Under the brand-new guidelines, the meaning of sexual harassment is narrowed to include only misbehavior that is “so extreme, prevalent, and objectively offensive” that it efficiently denies the victim access to the school’s education programs. The Obama administration, by contrast, used a larger definition that included a variety of conduct that “interferes with or limitations” a trainee’s access to the school. Under the new guidelines, the Education Department will also utilize a various standard to determine if schools reacted properly to a trainee’s problem. DeVos’ rules effectively tell the country’s schools how to use the 1972 federal law known as Title IX, which bars discrimination based on sex in education. Advocacy groups for victims state the Obama guidelines forced schools to stop sweeping the problem under the carpet, while those supporting implicated students stated it tipped the scales in favor of accusers.

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