“Students, faculty, and staff have a right to know that they are safe in their school community. We respond proactively to complaints regarding campus safety and security,” the Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid said. said Rich Cordray, Chief Operating Officer. “Through Clery activity Schools have a duty to take steps to create a safe and secure campus community, investigate complaints, and responsibly disclose information about crime and other safety concerns. If a school fails to do this, we will continue to hold the school accountable. ”
The department released a more than 100-page report summarizing its findings at Liberty University, a private university in Lynchburg, Virginia.
More than 90,000 students study at Liberty University. It is one of the most influential Christian universities in the country, and its campus frequently attracts prominent speakers.
Although Liberty is private, all schools participating in federal financial aid programs must comply with the Clery Act, a federal law that requires timely reporting of crime statistics and other information related to campus safety. . And Liberty received about $880 million in student loans and grants from the Department of Education in 2022-2023.
In 2019, the Department of Education fined Michigan State University $4.5 million, the largest penalty at the time. and It called for the school to take corrective action, citing a systemic failure to protect students from sexual abuse. The findings were announced after an investigation into the school's response to reports of sexual assault by Larry Nassar, a former doctor who treated athletes on the school's gymnastics team.
The release of the Department of Education's report comes months after the Washington Post reported: The confidential preliminary report alleged that the university repeatedly violated federal law and failed to keep its campus safe over the years.draft A report obtained by the newspaper found that despite school officials touting the campus as one of the safest in the country, they discouraged people from reporting crimes, reported gas leaks, bomb threats, and more. A number of alleged failures are detailed in detail, including failing to alert the campus to potentially dangerous incidents such as reported sexual assaults. .The draft also argued that that free officials destroyed evidence; After a government investigation began.
The university disputed that explanation. Last fall, Liberty said in a statement on its website that its goal was to fully and openly cooperate with the Department of Education's requests and that it had hired two companies to review schools' compliance with the law and develop a response. Stated. The university said it had previously informed authorities of “material errors, misstatements, and unsupported conclusions in the ministry's preliminary findings.”
The university's statement also said that since last fall, the company has made significant changes to ensure compliance with Title IX and the Clery Act, including establishing an Office of Equity and Compliance, making “significant capital investments in security assets and equipment,” and conducting training and online training. He said great strides have been made in safety on campus. A resource for the community that “promotes transparency, accountability, and intervention.”
The university's statement continued: “Our request to the faculty was simple and clear: that the university be treated like similarly located universities, and that the faculty treat Liberty fairly, consistent with established precedent.” said.
The Department of Education had no comment at the time, and a spokesperson said it does not comment on pending institutional oversight, program reviews or investigations.
In January, several members of Congress expressed concerns about Liberty. inquiry. In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, a Republican lawmaker: The chairs of three House committees or subcommittees, Virginia Foxx (North Carolina), James Comer (Kentucky), and Bob Goode (Virginia), said the department would “review programs and appears to be targeting religious institutions through fines that significantly exceed the established system.” Documented precedent. ”
The review includes data from 2016 to 2022 and was triggered by a May 2021 complaint, according to the draft document. Such reviews are conducted by the Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid.
Liberty University was founded in 1971 by televangelist Jerry Falwell. After his death in 2007, his son Jerry Falwell his junior took over as president. He resigned in 2020 amid a personal scandal. Jerry Prevot, who was chairman of the board, served as interim chairman until July, when Air Force Maj. Gen. Dondi E. Costin took over.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
