How Sexual Assault Advocates Responded to Betsy Devos' Title IX Rollback

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced on Thursday she plans to roll back Obama-era guidelines on how campus sexual assault complaints are handled, and some people aren’t happy.

New York Magazine reports DeVos spoke at George Mason University in Virginia on Thursday and said she plans on replacing the current “failed system” with a system that is fair for both victims and the accused.

“The truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students," DeVos said during her speech. She went on to add that, “Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined.”

Opponents to these changes saw this as a step backwards for victims in favor of giving more protections to those accused of sexual assault, including Joe Biden, who was at the head of the Obama administration’s efforts to crack down on campus sexual assaults, according to Politico.

“Today’s announcements that the Department of Education plans to rewrite key Title IX guidance which works to address and prevent sexual assault in our schools is a step in the wrong direction,” Biden wrote in a Facebook statement. “The truth is, although people don’t want to talk about the brutal reality of sexual assault, especially when it occurs in our most cherished institutions, it is our reality, and it must be faced head-on. And any change that weakens Title IX protections will be devastating.” 

Other advocates for victims of sexual assault took to Twitter to voice their discontent with the announcement, including groups like RAINN and Know Your IX — which deal directly with survivors and victims of assault and college students. 

While it remains to be seen how these roll-backs will be implemented and how they will affect different campus communities, it's guaranteed that advocates won't stop standing up for victims and survivors in every way they can.