Sen. Claire McCaskill Finds Support From Within Higher Education For Her Campus Sexual Assault Bill

With Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-Mo.) new campus sexual assault bill officially unveiled, unnerving one prominent lobbying group, some schools have voiced support.

According to Inside Higher Ed, the bill has gained support from individual schools and systems, whereas the opposition has come from groups like the American Council on Education (ACE).

"There's two ways to handle it: you can circle the wagons, deny it, and fight it," McCaskill said at a press conference late last month when announcing the bill. "Or you can join forces, and say, 'Thank you for the heads-up; we need help in this area.'"

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) was a co-sponsor of the bill and recently organized a news conference with individual higher education officials who agree with the legislation.

"As stringent as the new legislation purports to be, it's necessary at this point," Tom Pellegrino, vice president at Fairfield University for student affairs, said at the conference. "We haven't gotten there yet by ourselves," he said. "We have to be reactive to this need.

"In terms of executing the new requirements, I have concerns about whether we currently have the resources in place."

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities also voiced its support, though it was apparently the only such group to do so, Inside Higher Ed reported.

"AASCU welcomes the release of Senator Claire McCaskill's bipartisan bill to combat sexual assault on campus," the group's president Murial A. Howard said in a statement. "AASCU institutions are very aware of the problem of sexual assault in our society and on our campuses. Campus sexual assault is a difficult, complex and challenging issue. AASCU's presidents, chancellors and administrators are committed to fostering a safe campus climate for the nearly 4 million students enrolled in our state colleges and universities."

Months before the release of McCaskill's bill, the Huffington Post reported, ACE denied allegations they coached recipients of a survey on how to answer the questions.

Some schools, however, have not taken a stance either way, such as Janey Napolitano, the leader of the University of California system. Though she commissioned a task force to review sexual assault policies throughout her system, she did not take a definitive stance on McCaskill's bill.