Fox News articles are now available as audio content, allowing for a more convenient way to consume news. It is a well-known tactic for any White House administration looking to divert public attention from a damaging issue to release documents that could be harmful just before a long holiday weekend. The same strategy was employed with the release of the White House Gender Policy Council’s National Plan to End Gender-Based Discrimination: Strategies for Action, which coincided with the recent Memorial Day holiday. The document highlights the “gender-based violence” crisis in the United States. However, the plan falls short in a few key areas. One notable omission is the lack of discussion on sexual abuse of K–12 students by teachers and staff in public schools, despite it being a distressingly common occurrence. According to a 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 10% of students have experienced sexual abuse by school employees. Furthermore, research from 2018 reveals that school districts allow sexually abusive school employees to move between an average of three school districts, causing harm to numerous victims throughout their careers. This practice is commonly referred to as “passing the trash.” The number of complaints regarding sexual violence in K–12 schools filed with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has also significantly increased from 2010 to 2019. The OCR’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) survey, which takes place every two years, recorded a staggering 43% increase in reported incidents of sexual violence and a 74% increase in instances of rape or attempted rape from the 2015–16 survey to the 2017–18 survey. Surprisingly, the GPC’s plan, which meticulously addresses various aspects of American life related to gender-based violence, only briefly touches upon schools and Title IX, the legislation that prohibits sexual misconduct in federally funded educational programs and activities. What is even more concerning is that the plan completely ignores the CRDC data on sexual misconduct in public K–12 schools. This omission suggests a reluctance from the administration to hold the heavily unionized government bureaucracy accountable for the state of public education. In recent years, the Department of Education took steps to enforce accountability for school districts regarding sexual misconduct. Former Secretary Betsy DeVos notably withheld millions of dollars in grants from Chicago Public Schools in 2018 due to their failure to investigate sexual abuse complaints as required by Title IX. A groundbreaking agreement was reached in 2019, mandating comprehensive reforms to CPS policies handling sexual harassment complaints. DeVos also initiated OCR’s aggressive enforcement of Title IX with regards to sexual harassment and assault in K–12 schools. For the first time, the Department published Title IX regulations that explicitly required schools receiving federal funding to address sexual harassment and assault. However, the Biden administration is determined to reverse these efforts. The initiative championed by DeVos has been removed from the agency’s website, and there were attempts to remove questions pertaining to sexual abuse of students by employees from the CRDC until public backlash forced a reversal. The Biden administration has also failed to reopen enforcement action against CPS, allowing federal funds to flow uninterrupted to the struggling school system. A lesser-known proposal by the Biden administration is a rule from the Education Department that undermines previous Title IX reforms set by the previous administration. These reforms dictated that schools use the same standard of proof for students, faculty, and staff when determining responsibility for sexual misconduct. The Biden administration seeks to enable stricter standards of proof for allegations against teachers, making it more challenging for administrators to hold them accountable for sexual assault compared to students. This is just one of several ways in which the Biden administration’s proposed regulations utilize Title IX to cater to the president’s supporters. It is crucial to highlight that a 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Education found that approximately 10% of students have experienced sexual abuse by school employees. Additionally, research shows that sexually abusive school employees are allowed to move between an average of three school districts, perpetuating harm throughout their careers. Title IX grants the Department the authority to take action and ensure that school systems protect students from sexual abuse. The Department must not shy away from its responsibilities and should exert pressure on public school bureaucracies to eradicate sexual abuse and support survivors, even if it means risking the loss of federal funds. A singular focus on a woke manifesto that caters only to the president’s favored constituencies is insufficient.
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