Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Issues Declaration for State Colleges to Review Sexual Assault Policies 'Top-to-Bottom'
ByTerry McAuliffe, the Democratic governor of Virginia, has issued a declaration ordering a "top-to-bottom" review of the state colleges' sexual assault policies.
According to the Huffington Post, the University of Virginia (UVA) and three other schools in the state are under federal investigation for complaints against how they handle sexual assault. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring will head McAuliffe's new task force and deliver a report by June 1, 2015.
McAuliffe was named the governor of Virginia earlier this year, though the federal probe at UVA began in 2011. Since taking office, he has turned his attention to the issue. James Madison University (JMU) has been accused doling out "expulsion after graduation" punishments to students found responsible of sexual assault. Additionally, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) has been accused of dismissing pregnant cadets.
UVA, JMU, VMI, the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University were among the state's schools to sign onto McAuliffe's declaration.
"The executive order and joint declaration the Governor is signing today are indications that the Governor is committed to aggressively combating sexual violence on college campuses and will work with the Attorney General and Virginia's colleges and universities to find the best ways to prevent, respond to, and raise awareness about this issue," Rachel Thomas, a spokeswoman for McAuliffe, said in a statement to the HP. "The Governor and First Lady take this issue very seriously - as the parents of five children, two of whom are currently in college, they believe that it is critical to Virginia's students' success to create safe environments at our institutions of higher education and will not tolerate sexual violence on campus."
The U.S. Education Department is currently investigating 76 schools resulting from complaints against their sexual assault policies and practices. Many schools and school systems have formed task forces to address the issue, while others have ordered immediate policy changes.