TUPELO, Miss.—President Donald Trump’s U.S. Department of Education has released a new Title IX regulation designed to restore the legal rights of students who are wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct. College students who are falsely accused of sexual misconduct will now have the right to defend themselves legally, but this has not always been the case.

American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) heartily commends the Trump administration for this new regulation governing the application of Title IX protections.

“This new regulation will ensure that both the accused and the accuser are treated fairly through a clearly defined process and that the First Amendment rights of the students are no longer ignored,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon.

Added AFA Action Vice President Rob Chambers, “For too many years, Title IX has been used to beat down American college students falsely accused of sexual misconduct and as an excuse to inhibit free speech. Too many innocent lives have been harmed by the lack of justice found on campuses across the country.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos said of the new regulation, “Too many students have lost access to their education because their school inadequately responded when a student filed a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual assault. This new regulation requires schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct, without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process.”

According to a press release posted at ed.gov, key provisions of the Department of Education’s new Title IX regulation include the following:

Holds colleges responsible for off-campus sexual harassment at houses owned or under the control of school-sanctioned fraternities and sororities

Restores fairness on college and university campuses by upholding all students’ right to written notice of allegations, the right to an advisor, and the right to submit, cross-examine and challenge evidence at a live hearing
Requires schools to select one of two standards of evidence, the preponderance of the evidence standard or the clear and convincing evidence standard—and to apply the selected standard evenly to proceedings for all students and employees, including faculty
Requires schools to offer an equal right of appeal for both parties to a Title IX proceeding
Protects students and faculty by prohibiting schools from using Title IX in a manner that deprives students and faculty of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment

“We encourage all to send an email to thank President Trump for protecting K-12 and college students and for restoring the due process of law for all students, specifically those who are falsely accused,” Chambers added. “This regulation is long overdue.”

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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To interview a representative from the American Family Association, contact [email protected], Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.