BETSY DEVOS Is Making The Right Choice On Sexual Assault Rules
President Trump’s Department of Education, under the standard of Secretary Betsy DeVos, is in the long-anticipated process of changing the procedures for what colleges can, should and must do regarding sexual assault allegations. Forbes contributor Michael T. Nietzel has a good summary of the proposed changes but, most generally, the DeVos proposals shift the definitions and processes in favor of the accused…Mostly missing from the conversation and understanding of the DeVos changes, is that – good or bad, necessary or provocative – a shift in how colleges deal with sexual assault is inevitable. And not just any shift. One way or another, the rules are going to move in the direction of those accused of sexual assault because courts have already begun to move the needle in that direction, in some cases even surpassing the proposed DeVos modifications. The courts are already forcing schools to re-examine and change the rules for these cases, just with a higher legal and reputational costs and with far less public awareness and input. In that light, DeVos had a simple decision to make. She could do nothing and allow the courts to revise the rules using a patchwork of rulings in various jurisdictions over several more years. Or she could write new rules applicable to all schools with some form of public input,
forbes.com By Derek Newton
