Politics

20 Attorneys General Take A Stand Against Betsy DeVos

20 state attorneys general -- all Democrats -- aren't waiting to see what havoc DeVos will wreak before letting their opinions be known.

By  
on

Betsy DeVos (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

No one’s going to accuse Education Secretary Betsy DeVos of overthinking a plan. In recent comments, DeVos indicated she supported a rapid turnaround from the previous administration’s approach to Title IX enforcement, focusing on both victims of sexual assault and men falsely accused of rape. This was after she angered many rape survivor advocates by agreeing to meet with men’s rights activists who insist that false accusations of rape are a much bigger problem on college campuses than any data would support. But exactly what DeVos’s words mean is unclear.

Behind the statement there seems to be little besides the sense that whatever the Obama administration did was wrong, even if it helped sexual assault survivors. But a group of 20 state attorneys general — all Democrats — aren’t waiting to see what havoc DeVos will wreak before letting their opinions be known. They’ve composed a letter urging DeVos not to move backwards on Title IX protections, and in a statement to Buzzfeed, they’ve indicated they’ll use the power of their offices to make sure that happens:

Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s attorney general who organized the letter, told BuzzFeed News the signatories were prepared to take legal action to ensure Title IX protections stay in place. “The 20 AGs who signed that letter were putting Secretary DeVos on notice that we support the current regulations, and if she rolls them back, then she will have us to deal with further,” Shapiro said. When asked what he meant by that, Shapiro replied, “We’ll see what actions she takes. What I can tell you is we are committed to ensuring these protections stay in place. And if need be, we’ll take legal action to try and protect victims.”

They also asked that DeVos consult with relevant parties before she makes any moves on Title IX. Given her emphasis on the speed of the action and dearth of any details of what that would entail, I’m guessing that request is in vain.

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

Sponsored

Topics

, , , ,