Dear All,
As promised, here are various items related to the DeVos announcement:
1) IHE's coverage:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/09/07/devos-says-federal-title-ix-guidelines-have-%E2%80%98failed%E2%80%99-will-seek-public-input-new?utm_source=Inside%20Higher%20Ed&utm_medium=email&utm_content=breakingnews&utm_campaign=0143460511-Breaking%20News%20Update%2020170907&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0143460511-197661277&mc_cid=0143460511&mc_eid=5064c5b6da
2) Politico's coverage:
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/betsy-devos-to-revamp-obama-era-schools-sexual-assault-policy-242444
3) Press releases:
AAUW:
http://www.aauw.org/article/aauw-responds-to-title-ix-announcement/
NWLC:
https://nwlc.org/press-releases/nwlc-reacts-to-secretary-devos-title-ix-announcement/
4) Talking points, easy tweets, and other action items that you can use-- see:
attached talking points and email from Neena Chaudhry below
email from Adele Kimmel at Public Justice (below Neena's email)
email from Sage at Know Your IX (below Adele's email)
AAUW's petition:
http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50796/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=22861
Again, because of the hurricane, I am not sure what kind of internet access I will have over the next few days, but I will add new signatories to the White Paper as soon as I am able.
Best,
Nancy
From: Chaudhry, Neena <>
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2017 5:17 PM
To: Title IX Attorneys;
Subject: sample tweets
Apologies for cross-postings . . .
Dear friends,
Earlier today, Secretary of DeVos announced plans for an all-out attack on Title IX protections for survivors of sexual assault. After taking time to lament the “burden” of civil
rights enforcement and misrepresent the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), she announced a plan to open the guidance up for notice and comment, ignoring thousands of survivors and allies who are currently participating in notice and comment and fighting for
the preservation of the DCL.
It’s plain to us that this decision is nothing more than an attack on survivors’ rights cloaked in procedure. It wrongly signals to schools that they can shirk their legal responsibility
to address sexual assault and it tells survivors that the Department of Education is not behind them. This decision, while callous and spiteful, does not change the rights of survivors of sexual assault. Title IX is still the law of the land, and we need to
fight together to make sure that is respected. That starts with telling Secretary DeVos why we need Title IX guidance. Help us amplify what this announcement means and the need to mobilize on social media!
Sample tweets
Weakening protections for survivors tells attackers they can assault us w/ impunity. We won't stand for it. #StopBetsy #INeedIX
, your boss bragged about committing sexual assault. Don’t sink to his level.
Support student survivors. #INeedIX
#INeedIX bc prioritizing rapists’ educations over survivors’ tells them there's no consequence for violating others.
it’s your job to enforce civil rights, not attack them. Uphold the Title IX protections
for survivors. #StopBetsy
#DearSurvivors: @BetsyDeVos might not believe or trust you. But we do. And we will fight for the preservation of Title IX guidance.
#DearBetsy, 94% of voters believe schools must address sexual assault. Why are you ignoring them? [94%
graphic]
____________________________________________________
From: Adele Kimmel [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2017 3:34 PM
Hi, everyone.
Below is a statement I sent out to a reporter asking for comment on DeVos’s announcement.
A few things are clear from Betsy DeVos’s announcement today:
-
The Trump administration is opposed to the civil rights of sexual assault survivors and is merely paying lip service to caring about them. The fact that no survivor groups were invited
to today’s announcement speaks volumes about the Administration’s position. It isn’t truly concerned about fairness to all. It is skeptical of sexual assault survivors and taking sides with students accused of sexual assault.
-
The Department of Education needs an education on Title IX. And it’s going to get that from sexual assault survivors, Title IX lawyers and Title IX advocates, who will be submitting
comments and monitoring the Department’s next steps very closely.
-
The systemic failures described by Secretary DeVos—failure to provide accused students with notice that they are being investigated for sexual assault, with access to all the evidence
and witnesses against them, or with a right to appeal an adverse decision—do not come from Title IX, its regulations or the Title IX guidance issued by the Office for Civil Rights. In fact, the Title IX guidance requires equitable procedures so that both sides
are provided equal access to evidence and witnesses. Schools have taken approaches that are unfair to students, but those approaches have nothing to do with Title IX or the guidance explaining the law. Schools are failing students, not Title IX.
-
The Trump administration says it wants fair procedures, but there’s nothing fair about refusing to enforce the rights of sexual assault survivors, which is the direction the Department
of Education seems to be headed in.
Public Justice will continue to fight for the rights of sexual assault survivors, even if the government won’t.
Best,
Adele
Adele Kimmel
Senior Attorney
publicjustice.net
1620 L Street NW, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036
Office: (202) 797-8600, ext. 229
Twitter: @akimmel
Facebook: /publicjustice
----------
Forwarded message ----------
From: Sage
Carson via ActionNetwork.org <>
Date:
Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 7:30 AM
Subject:
URGENT: #StopBetsy
To:
.png)
Dear Nancy,
This is the moment we have been preparing for. All of our actions, meetings, and calls have been leading up to this. Today, Betsy DeVos will be making an announcement about Title IX, and we know it won’t be good news. Betsy has given us every indication
that she intends to undermine protections for student survivors and make it easier for schools to sweep sexual violence under the rug.
We aren’t afraid, because we know that we have decades of legal precedent behind us. Title IX is the law, and even an administration lead by a sexual abuser can’t change that. We will continue to fight and demand
that our rights be protected.
Here are three things you can do today:
-
Share why Title IX or the Dear Colleague Letter are so important to you using the hashtag #StopBetsy.
-
If you are a student or alum, set up a meeting with your university or alma mater to demand that they support survivors by publicly voicing their commitment to enforcing Title IX.
-
Give
your money to survivors! Rape survivors are on the front lines of this struggle, and we need your support to keep up the momentum.
We know that every student, every survivor, deserves to learn free from violence, and we will not back down until this administration takes that right seriously.
In solidarity,
Sage Carson
Know Your IX Program Manager
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The following is a statement by Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC): “Don’t be duped by today’s announcement. What seems merely procedural is a blunt attack on survivors of sexual assault. It will discourage schools
from taking steps to comply with the law—just at the moment when they …
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AAUW's policy work connects and rallies advocates at the local, state, national, and global levels to advance our work to empower women and girls. With the member-endorsed Public Policy Program... Read more »
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American Association of University Women Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Churches issued the following statement responding to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ announcement concerning the future of Title IX enforcement. Read more »
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