Sexual Violence – White House Task Force Report and Office for Civil Rights Guidance (K-12)

Earlier this year, President Obama created the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault (the “Task Force”) with a mandate to strengthen federal enforcement efforts and provide schools with tools to combat sexual assault. The Task Force released a report on April 29, 2014 by which it seeks to: identify the scope of the problem of sexual assault on college campuses; help prevent sexual assault; help schools respond effectively to assaults; and improve, and increase the transparency of, federal government enforcement efforts. On the same day, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) released a 52-point guidance document, in question and answer format, regarding a school’s obligations and a student’s rights under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq. (“Title IX”).