Sexual Violence – White House Task Force Report and Office for Civil Rights Guidelines (CCD)

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”).