The names of 55 colleges and universities have been released by the Education Department for currently facing a Title IX investigation over their handling of sexual abuse complaints, the Associated Press reported.
Just two days ago, greater government transparency on sexual assault in higher education had been promised by a White House task force. From now on, an updated list of schools facing such an investigation will be kept and it will be available upon request.
While the list comprises of large public universities like UC Berkeley, USC, Ohio State University and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, it also names private schools like Knox College in Illinois and Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth are also on the list, according to the AP.
Previously, the investigations were confirmed by the agency when asked. But the system was not transparent for students.
"We hope this increased transparency will spur community dialogue about this important issue," Catherine E. Lhamon, the department's assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.
A school's name on the list does not mean that it has violated the law but that an investigation is ongoing, Lhamon said.
"Title IX prohibits gender discrimination at schools that receive federal funds. It is the same law that guarantees girls equal access to sports, but it also regulates institutions' handling of sexual violence and increasingly is being used by victims who say their schools failed to protect them," the AP reported.
"Citing research, the White House has said that 1 in 5 female students is assaulted. President Barack Obama appointed a task force comprised of his Cabinet members to review the issue after hearing complaints about the poor treatment of campus rape victims and the hidden nature of such crimes."
The development of a website, notalone.gov, offering resources for victims and information about past enforcement actions on campuses, was announced by the task force.
Identifying confidential victims' advocates and conducting surveys to better gauge the frequency of sexual assault on their campuses were some other recommendations to the schools by the task force, the AP reported.
Click to see the list of colleges under investigation.
