Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released new rules that outline when and how schools must respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination.
The rules replace an Obama-era civil rights directive that Secretary Betsy DeVos revoked in September 2017, when she said that rule didn't do enough to protect the due-process rights of the accused. DeVos has also criticized the Obama administration for releasing guidance documents, outlining its interpretation of civil rights laws without seeking public comment through a formal rulemaking process. The new regulations carry more legal weight than the previous guidance.
While discussions about the Title IX rules have largely centered on colleges and universities, the changes will also affect K-12 schools, putting them on notice about how the Education Department intends to enforce the gender nondiscrimination law.
To read our law firm's new article - 11 Key Changes Every South Dakota School Administrator Needs To Know About The New Title IX Rules - click here.
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