Meehan Statement on Department of Education's Title IX Announcement

Statement

Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced it would begin a rule-making process to revamp guidance issued to colleges and universities on the handling of sexual assault on college campuses. The guidance was issued under Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sexual discrimination.

"Title IX protections play an important role in the safety of students on college campuses," said Meehan. "As a prosecutor, I saw firsthand how difficult sexual assault cases can be, and any prosecution of sexual assault must weigh the rights of victims to justice and the due process rights of the accused. It's not an easy balance to find. Any changes to Title IX guidance should improve -- not roll back -- efforts to end sexual violence and clarify the obligations of schools. Sexual assault shatters lives and there's more we can do to prevent it on college campuses. I urge Secretary DeVos to keep the victims of sexual assault foremost in her mind as this process unfolds."

Meehan, a former and local federal prosecutor, has long been a fighter in Congress to combat sexual assault in college campuses. Meehan is a founding co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence and has co-sponsored legislation with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Ca.) that addresses campus sexual assault.

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