WASHINGTON — Federal probes of how sexual assaults are handled by colleges are on the rise nationwide.
The number of schools under investigation has shot up a startling 50 percent in six months, according to The Washington Post.
Currently, there are 85 schools on the list including the University of Virginia, James Madison, Virginia Military Institute, Catholic University in D.C. and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.
The list of schools that are being investigated are diverse: community colleges; state universities; liberal arts colleges; and private universities.
One of the cases being investigated at the University of Virginia is more than three years old.
The increase in the number of schools apparently reflects more cases of discrimination claims reported and the inability to resolve high-profile cases, which can drag on for years.
While being on this list is not good public relations for the schools, there also is the threat of federal funding being cut off if the school doesn’t improve its response to allegations of sex assaults on campus.
But so far the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has not cut off funding for any schools.
One possible reason for the uptick in the numbers of schools being added to the list is that more and more students are turning to the civil rights office for help.
Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant education secretary for civil rights, says students are learning that the civil rights office is willing to guarantee fair treatment. But she does add that sex assaults at college campuses only make up a small part of the caseload the office handles.
The list of schools that are being investigated are diverse: community colleges, state universities, liberal arts colleges and private universities.
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