On Thursday, the Education Department announced that over 323,000 borrowers who have permanent disabilities will automatically receive federal student loan forgiveness, amounting to a total of $5.8 billion in canceled student loan debt. The federal student loan forgiveness process for borrowers who cannot work due to permanent disabilities will now be automated. Borrowers declared permanently […]
Trump Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools Unwilling or Unable to Reopen
As the United States faces a surge in reported COVID-19 cases, schools have recently been faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to reopen as the fall approaches. Given local, state, and federal guidelines, as well as those put in place by the CDC, returning to business as usual seems daunting, if not […]
Department of Education Issues Rule Increasing CARES Act Funding For K-12 Private Schools
A rule issued by the Department of Education (DOE) will grant K-12 private schools a large share of the $13 billion of federal coronavirus aid provided by the CARES Act. The rule requires school districts to utilize one of two plans to distribute the funds. Districts must either only utilize the funds for low-income students, […]
Lawmakers Denounce Title IX Decision on Transgender Athletes
28 lawmakers, including six of the seven members of Connecticut’s delegation, signed a joint letter condemning the U.S. Department of Education’s May 15 decision regarding transgender athletes. The lawmakers request that the Department of Education (DOE) reconsider its decision, as well as other rulings that “roll back” the rights of transgender students. They have tasked […]
ACLU and Other Groups File Lawsuit to Block New Title IX Rules
Survivor advocacy groups filed a suit yesterday to block Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s new Title IX rules that weaken protections for survivors. The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and another law firm, argue that the new rules make it harder for survivors to report sexual assault and harassment. The plaintiffs […]
California Colleges Sue DeVos Over CARES Act Fund Restrictions
California Community Colleges filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for making undocumented students ineligible for federally funded coronavirus relief. In the suit, California Community Colleges argues that the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) restrictions place an arbitrary burden on schools to find assistance for students who are ineligible for federal […]
Democrats and Civil Rights Groups Demand Delay of New Title IX Rule
The Education Department’s new proposed Title IX rules have already been cleared by the White House and are scheduled to be implemented in the coming weeks. Three senators signed on to a letter—along with multiple civil rights’ and human rights’ organizations—calling for the delay of these rules until the COVID-19 crisis is under control. The […]
Education Department Sanctions Penn State Again for Sexual Misconduct Procedures
On Thursday, the Department of Education announced that after a recent investigation, it is ordering Pennsylvania State University to implement significant changes to the way the school handles complaints of sexual misconduct. The released investigation finds that the university persistently mishandled cases after the Sandusky scandal. A federal investigation released Thursday identified “serious deficiencies” in […]
Democratic Women’s Working Group and Representatives Condemn New Title IX Rules
Yesterday, the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG), along with Representatives Jackie Speier, Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Annie Kuster and 77 House members, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to retract her recently proposed rules for Title IX. In the letter, the representatives denounce the proposed rules, calling the rules a […]
New DeVos Rules on Title IX Will Hurt Survivors
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed harmful new regulations that would make it easier for schools to ignore student survivors of sexual violence and sweep allegations of sexual harassment and assault under the rug. Already, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will be sexually assaulted in college, and around 1 in 4 […]
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113 Organizations Denounce Federal Proposals to Redefine Gender
Last week, 113 organizations that work with survivors of sexual violence and advocate for the rights of survivors wrote a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Labor regarding a recent Trump administration proposal to define gender as an “immutable […]
Trump Administration To Attack Protections for Transgender Individuals
“The Trump Administration is once again doing everything in its power to carry out a mean-spirited attack on transgender individuals who deserve and need civil rights protections,” read a statement by the Feminist Majority Foundation. “This overt attack on trans lives is at odds with scientific fact, multiple federal court rulings, and the lived experiences of millions of Americans.”
Senators Call on DeVos to Listen to Survivors Before Proposing New Title IX Rules
In a letter sent last Friday, a group of Senators, led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos calling on the Department to engage in meaningful consultation with survivors before proposing new Title IX rules that could impact the rights of student survivors of sexual harassment and assault.
Denying Justice to Campus Sexual Assault Survivors Saves Colleges Money
“The Trump administration is sending us back to an ugly time when rape victims suffered in silence in our schools, and perpetrators were able to assault multiple women with impunity.”
Congressional Leaders Request Review of Climate Surveys on Campus Sexual Violence
United States Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Susan Davis (D-CA) requested Monday that the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of past and existing campus climate surveys used to collect data on the incidence of sexual violence on college campuses in order to provide recommendations to Congress for developing a standard, nationwide survey.
Feminist Majority Foundation Condemns Department of Education Over New Title IX Guidance
This week the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) and other women’s rights advocates commandeered a hearing held by the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) in order to express grievance over the Department’s rescinding of Title IX guidance documents that served to protect victims of sexual assault on college campuses.
Trump Rescinds Obama Administration Protections for Transgender Students
In a joint letter from the Department of Justice and Department of Education, the Trump administration claimed that the Obama administration had not sought proper legal analysis or provided appropriate explanation for why these protections were guaranteed under Title IX.
Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Education
“This is the first time in American history that a Vice President has ever had make a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet nominee, showing just how weak DeVos’ position really is,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “Every single Senator who voted “Yes” is personally responsible for the deciding vote, and those of us concerned with equity in education will not soon forget it.”
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing for Betsy Devos
Betsy DeVos’ Senate confirmation hearing to serve as secretary of the Department of Education (ED) was held Tuesday evening, as DeVos was questioned on issues ranging from guns in schools to the privatization of public education.
Idaho Elementary School Found Non-Compliant with Title IX Due to Sex-Segregated Classrooms
Last week the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the US Department of Education (ED) determined that Idaho’s Middleton School District was in violation of Title IX for segregating elementary school students into all-girl and all-boy classrooms.
