On Friday Sept. 22 the education department, under the leadership of Betsy DeVos, announced it will be eliminating Obama era guidance on how schools should handle sexual assault under Title IX.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on gender for schools that receive federal funding, including protection from sexual harassment.
The clause was authored by Senator Birch Bayh and late House Rep. Patsy Mink on June 23, 1972 in wake of the Civil Rights Movement.
Now after this decision, the Federal Government’s powers will be limited in the discouragement and punishment of sexual assault on college campuses across the nation.
According to Sophie Tatum of CNN, Secretary of Education, DeVos, was concerned that the Obama era guidance denied the proper due process to those accused.
The decision has received countless backlash from numerous politicians and advocacy groups and college students haven’t held back their opinions either.
Hunter Demshick a music major in their third year at bucks didn’t hold back “I think this decision is stupid.”
“There still needs to be repercussions for stuff like this,” Demshick insisted. “Colleges still need to stick to their guns and still be harsh because this can happen to anybody.”
19 year old environmental science major Sarah Squitieri from Doylestown, a sophomore at Bucks, didn’t mask her feelings either, saying “This is scary and truthfully as a woman I feel discriminated against.”
“When I was at Temple in freshman year I was sexually harassed…” Squitieri recalled. “I don’t want to think that someone can go through that or something even worse than that and they can’t be helped, because someone decided it wasn’t important enough to properly punish and discourage.”
Amanda Young, a freshman from Doylestown who is currently majoring in cinema, said, “It’s already scary being alone in a new place having to fend for yourself… Less help with this is definitely something we don’t need.”
When asked how the students of Bucks should react Young said “We need to reinforce awareness,” “If we just let things happen and don’t talk about it we’re just as bad as the people who are trying to do away with it altogether.”
College students aren’t the only demographic outraged by this decision. Amber Quinn a mother of two who volunteers for the BCIU (Bucks County intermediate unit) and spends time on the Newtown campus said “I’m just mad that she is a woman and she’s taking something away that protects other women, I just don’t get it.”
“I’m afraid to send my kids to college,” Quinn admitted. “Fear is really real as a parent, so now knowing that there’s not this added protection anymore is just really scary.”
For any students concerned on how bucks will respond to this recent decision President Shanblatt assured that “Newtown, Upper Bucks and Lower Bucks will all respond to Title IX cases in the same way.”
President Shanblatt went on to explain “While the new guidance allows for some changes… it currently does not require a change in practice.”
Even with the recent revisions of Title IX it seems Bucks will remain a campus dedicated to providing a safe work space for all students.