Rollbacks on Title IX campus sexual assault guidance signaled by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos could have an impact on K-12 schools.
Though detailed changes from DeVos are unknown, Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault Campus Initiatives Director Mahri Irvine says colleges are still legally obligated to handle sexual assault cases without Title IX guidance.
"Even if the Title IX guidance gets rescinded, colleges and universities are still going to be legally required to comply with a lot of these same requirements through the Clery Act," Irvine says.
The Clery Act requires universities that receive federal funding to release an annual public report on campus crime, including policy statements on sexual assault prevention and response.
Clery Act requirements do not apply to K-12 schools. Irvine says she would like to see Title IX requirements be put into law and applied to these schools as well.
"K-12 schools, those students are going to be in a lot more danger if Title IX is rescinded," Irvine says.
As of July 2017, the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education is investigating 150 sexual violence cases at 133 elementary and secondary schools.