SAVE E-lert: Tell Congress to Get it Right When Addressing Campus Sexual Assault

The 2011 U.S. Dept. of Education (DED) policy mandating that colleges revamp their procedures for adjudicating allegations of sexual assault does not require rape cases to be referred to local law enforcement officials for investigation and prosecution. We believe this is a serious oversight that needs correction.

In addition, some say the DED policy has gone too far in revoking fundamental due process protections. Just last week Brett Sokolow, director of the Association of Title IX Administrators, warned university administrators: "In the last two weeks, I've worked on five cases all involving drunken hook-ups on college campuses. In each case, the male accused of sexual misconduct was found responsible. In each case, I thought the college got it completely wrong."

Some lawmakers are using the Campus Sexual Assault Survey (CSAS) as proof of an "epidemic" of campus sexual assault, claiming that one-in-five female students will be sexually assaulted or raped during their time on campus. The CSAS has serious conceptual and methodological problems and cannot be regarded as a valid scientific study, nor can its findings be viewed as useful for purposes of policy-making.

Please contact Congress today.

• Call (202) 224-4451 and ask Sen. Gillibrand to stop citing the Campus Sexual Assault Survey (CSAS) as "proof" that one in five college women are victims of SA.
• Encourage your senators to ask Sen. Gillibrand to stick-to-the-facts when discussing sexual assault. And share your other concerns about the DED policy. Call: (202) 224-3121 or email: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

On behalf of every victim, every falsely accused student, and everyone who now walks their campus in fear, thank you!

Teri Stoddard, Program Director
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
www.saveservices.org