Murray: DeVos Campus Sexual Assault Announcement Shows “Clear Lack of Understanding or Empathy” for Survivors

In speech, DeVos criticized current sexual assault guidelines that help colleges combat national crisis and survivors seek justice

Murray: “Let’s be clear: Secretary DeVos just made an open invitation to colleges to once again sweep this national epidemic under the rug”

(Washington, D.C.) – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos walking away from Obama Administration guidance for colleges to combat the national epidemic of campus sexual assault. With her announcement today, Secretary DeVos is continuing a pattern of undermining survivors’ rights and making it harder for justice to be served.

“Secretary DeVos decided today to continue a pattern of undermining survivors’ rights, once again showing a clear lack of understanding or empathy for the millions of students who have experienced sexual violence on campus. Let’s be clear: Secretary DeVos just made an open invitation to colleges to once again sweep this national epidemic under the rug, which could discourage women and men on campuses across the country from reporting sexual assault and deprive survivors of the justice they deserve. Colleges must continue to take campus sexual violence seriously and I urge Secretary DeVos to reconsider this harmful step backward, and instead start supporting survivors and working to combat this national crisis.

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