When President Trump decided to appoint Betsy Devos as our Secretary of Education, I was skeptical. Actually, skeptical was an understatement. What I was, and continue to be, is worried. In the few long months that she has spent in office, Ms. Devos has managed to confirm my greatest fear: she does not truly understand or care about the safety of students.
Earlier this month we were told that Ms. Devos was planning to rewrite the rules on campus sexual assault. When addressing George Mason University, she said “Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach.” On Friday she decided to end this so called “intimidation” by issuing temporary rules that could ultimately bring more protection to students who have been accused of sexual assault. These new guidelines will allow universities to raise their evidentiary standard requirements, something that the Obama-Administration had previously lowered in order to force universities to aggressively attack the problem of sexual assault on campus. As these are interim rules, they are optional for universities.
The issue of sexual assault on college campuses across the country is not one to be taken lightly. As a country, this is a problem that we have accepted as simply a dark spot on the basic college experience. But this is not a dark spot of college, this is a dark spot of humanity. As a society, it is our duty to protect victims of sexual assault. Victims deserve to have their voice heard, but Ms. Devos’ policy change seems to disagree. While the changes made by the Obama-Administration in terms of college and university requirements for sexual assault were far from perfect, to reverse them altogether seems like both a slap in the face to victims, and a helping hand to perpetrators.
Because of this I am worried and I am angry. I am worried that victims will be too afraid to seek help; I am angry that they have to deal with this situation in the first place. We cannot sit idly by as victims of assault are silenced. We must do more.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, please know that you are not alone. These resources are here to help:
Centre County Women’s Resource Center:
(814) 234-5050
CAPS (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm):
(814) 863-0395
Penn State Crisis Line (24/7):
(877) 229-6400
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) or telephone:
800-656-4673