WASHINGTON - National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García provided the following reaction to the proposal released today by the U.S. Department of Education that weakens federal Title IX protections for sexual assault and harassment survivors in K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities:
“Secretary DeVos has fallen short yet again on a very simple and fundamental premise of her duty: to protect all students. Title IX is intended to ensure that all students have access to educational opportunities and that sex discrimination—including sexual violence and harassment—at educational institutions violates federal law. But Betsy DeVos seeks to turn Title IX on its head.
“Today, DeVos’s Education Department says that Title IX does not protect those who face sex discrimination in education but instead ensures that those who engage in sexual harassment and violence are protected. Educators across the nation are appalled. The rules proposed today conflict not just with Title IX’s purpose but also with the basic values of equality, safety, and respect that we teach our students every day.
“The proposed rule, if adopted, will mean that fewer survivors will report their assaults and harassment, schools will be more dangerous, and more students will be denied their legal right to equal access to education after experiencing assault and harassment.
“This Trump-DeVos agenda would return schools to a time when rape, assault, and harassment were swept under the rug. Title IX is essential to protecting each student's right to equal access to education and an educational experience free from sexual violence and harassment.
“Today’s announcement is another example of a Trump-DeVos agenda that scorns respect for survivors, and proves that students are Sec. DeVos’ last priority.”
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