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Schools In DC Face Federal Review
| Source: |
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Washington Post (DC) |
| Date: |
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011 |
| Author: |
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Nick Anderson and Bill Turque |
| Page/Section: |
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Metro |
The federal government is investigating how D.C. public schools respond to reports of sexual violence and what they are doing to prevent such incidents, a senior U.S. education official said Monday.
The inquiry comes after an allegation of a rape last fall at Dunbar High School in Northwest Washington. Russlynn H. Ali, assistant education secretary for civil rights, said that even though criminal charges were eventually dropped in that case, the incident raised broader questions that warrant federal review.
“Now it’s about what is the environment in your school and in your district,” Ali said. “Do girls and young women feel safe? What are the procedures if this were to happen again? What would be the immediate response?”
Ali said federal officials were seeking to help D.C. Acting Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson and other school chiefs across the country who might face similar challenges. “They need to make sure they have a culture that is safe for all of their students,” Ali said.
D.C. schools spokeswoman Safiya Simmons said the U.S. Education Department “is working to introduce new guidance to help schools, colleges and universities understand their civil rights obligations to better prevent and respond to sexual assault.”
Ali added, “The District is cooperating fully, and we’re working to resolve the matter.”
The disclosure comes as the Obama administration is pushing colleges and schools to take steps to prevent sexual violence on campuses through expanded enforcement of civil rights laws.
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Read the full article by following the link below:
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/federal-govern ment-reviewing-sexual-violence-in-dc-schools/2011/04/04/AF6cVPcC_print.html
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