The Department of Education rescinded the Obama-era “Dear Colleague” letter on sexual assaults, and will replace the Obama administration’s guidance with new instructions raising the standard of evidence for universities handling complaints.
Under new interim guidelines, schools are no longer required to “use the lowest standard of proof” in sexual assault cases while the Department of Education works to create rules that universities and colleges that receive federal funding will have to follow. The guidelines also state that “a school may not rely on fixed rules or operating assumptions that favor one party over another,” according to the Department of Education.