The federal government on Thursday took the unprecedented step of releasing the names of 55 colleges and universities under investigation for their handling of sexual violence or harassment complaints. On the list are some of the most prestigious schools in the nation, such as Harvard, Amherst and Princeton.
Schools' handling of such cases has come under increased scrutiny as the ratio of women to men on college campuses has increased to 1.4 to 1, and as recent studies have shown that one in five college women had experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault in college. In April 2011, the Obama administration issued aggressive new guidance on how schools should handle sexual violence under Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination at schools receiving federal funds.
"We are making this list available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work and to foster better public awareness of civil rights," Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, said in a statement. "We hope this increased transparency will spur community dialogue about this important issue." Continue>>>
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