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BU community responds to proposed campus sexual assault policy changes

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, in February 2017. DeVos’ proposed change to the Title IX law would make colleges less responsible for investigating complaints of sexual assault. COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released a proposed federal policy Friday that would change how colleges handle sexual misconduct, providing greater protection to those accused.

The proposed policy would narrow the definition of sexual harassment from unwelcome sexual conduct to unwelcome sexual conduct that is “so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the school’s education program or activity,” according to a press release from the Department of Education.

This regulation would change the sexual assault guidelines that stand in place from the Obama administration, which require colleges and universities to look into any assault or harassment regardless of whether the incident occurs on or off campus.

DeVos’s new rule would only require colleges to investigate incidents that occur on campus or within educational organizations, which would spare colleges and universities responsibility for any sexual assault or harassment that takes place off campus, said Boston University political science professor Virginia Sapiro.

What Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education have claimed is that the system has been rigged against men accused,” said Sapiro, whose areas of specialization include gender politics and feminist theory. “The new rule will tighten up the circumstances under which colleges and universities can deal with sexual harassment.”

The policy would also give accused students the right to cross-examine their accuser, potentially forcing assault victims to deal with their attackers, according to Sapiro.

“We already have only a minority of sexual assault victims and harassment victims reporting, and this will make it even smaller,” Sapiro said.

Sapiro said the proposed policy could “really hurt the possibility of justice for victims.”

Sapiro, a former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said she never saw a situation where an accused party was assumed to be guilty from the beginning in her time as an administrator.

BU spokesperson Colin Riley declined to comment on the proposed policy changes, citing the need for more research before he could make a statement on the subject.

Several students expressed disappointment about the proposed ruling and said they think it is a step in the wrong direction.

Christian Jaeger, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said he finds the proposed policy concerning and that he thinks BU should provide support for students regardless of their living situation.

“If the action takes place on or off campus, [people] should be able to talk about it to someone through the help that is provided on campus,” Jaeger said.

COM junior Maggie Lohrer said she is afraid the new policy may disadvantage students who live in off-campus housing.

“I don’t think it’s right,” Lohrer said. “I think it’s more fair and just if every student that goes to Boston University or any college has the same resources available, regardless of whether or not they live on campus.”

CAS junior Tiara Burton said she is appalled that a woman proposed the policy change.

“I think it’s a huge step backwards,” Burton said. “I have friends who were sexually assaulted on campus and off campus, and the fact that there are people out there that are trying to make it harder for them to have justice bothers me a lot. It doesn’t make sense.”

According to the Office of the Federal Register, there will be a 60 day period in which the public can comment on the proposed ruling, after which the U.S. Department of Education will then decide on whether to pass, amend or terminate the proposed policy.

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