20% of Colleges Flout Federal Law in Handling Sexual Assault, Report Finds

College rape survivors and activists have claimed for years that schools fail to fully investigate sexual assaults and offer survivors adequate support — and a survey of 440 four-year institutions by the office of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) backs up these assertions.

Among other shortcomings, the report, released last Wednesday, finds widespread disregard for federal law and Title IX regulations in reporting and investigation practices. It also finds the phenomenon of athletic departments investigating allegations against their own student athletes to be common practice.

“The report really confirms what survivors have been saying for years now. That essentially universities are failing all across the board, from prevention services to investigation to reporting to disciplinary procedures to even having the personnel they’re required under law to have,” says Dana Bolger, founder and co-director of Know Your IX, a student organization against sexual violence Read more...

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