Rep. Maloney Slams DeVos Decision to Rescind Obama-era Guidance on Campus Sexual Assault

Statement

In response to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's decision to rescind Obama Administration guidelines aimed at combating campus sexual assault, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), released the following statement:

"Secretary DeVos's decision to rescind President Obama's campus sexual assault guidance is deeply disturbing and represents a giant step backwards in the fight against sexual assault on college campuses," Rep. Maloney said.

"The Obama-era guidelines were carefully designed to ensure that colleges take the necessary steps to keep all their students safe. The guidelines also provide the survivors of sexual assaults with the specialized support experts agree that they need. Given the immense social harm that sexual assaults produce and the fact that federal data shows that the majority of rapes and sexual assaults perpetrated against women and girls in the United States are not reported to the police, this reckless indifference to these crimes of hate by Secretary DeVoss is unconscionable. And it leaves sexual assault victims wondering whether or not the federal government is even willing to make an honest effort to protect them."

"Students in higher education across the country, and all who love and care for them, deserve far better than this. It is now up to Congress to pass legislation that addresses campus sexual violence so that protections and rights for victims are enacted into law once and for all."

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