Secretary of Education Betsy Devos has proposed regulations that

restore due process rights to students accused of sexual harassment and assault. These rules will be binding upon all educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance. They are not perfect but are a vast improvement. Until January 30th, the public – you included – will be able to comment on the rules and offer insight via an online form.

If you ever wanted to support the due process rights of accused students (~99% of whom are male), now is the time. I invite and urge you to comment. It will take some time to prepare, so please make time while you have time now, rather than waiting for the January 30th deadline to draw near.

We’ve provided some materials to prepare you for commenting. Please follow this guide in order.

First, understand the proposed rules clearly

Before doing any writing, review the rules. EduRisk has written a fair summary of the proposed rules here. Read that first. I also recommend reading Title IX For All’s analysis here since it will give more context behind these rules.

The rules themselves can be read here. You can also view them directly on the Department website here. As you read through them, note which sections are most important to you and why.

Next, learn how to maximize your comment’s effectiveness

Families Advocating Campus Equality has written an excellent guide on how to prepare and write your comments, and a government-prepared guide called “Tips for Submitting Effective Comments” is also available online. I would make sure to read both.

The National Coalition for Men has also written a useful guide, and Stop Abusive and Violent Environments has compiled helpful links and more on their website.

Writing and submitting your comment

After reviewing the commenting guides above, prepare your comment in a word document, review it, and make any necessary adjustments. Once it is finished, click the button below to visit the government website where you will submit your comment. If the commenting form doesn’t appear, look for a button near the top-right of the page that says “Comment Now!” and click on it. It will take you to a page with the commenting form.

Thank you to everyone who supporters this issue! This is our chance to make an impact.

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For a more in-depth look at the litigation movement for due process and equal access to education: