The Obama Administration released a list of 55 colleges and universities in the U.S. that are under federal investigation over their handling of sexual assault cases. Each school is investigated for possible violations of Title IX, a law that bans discrimination based on gender in schools.
This is the latest move by the federal government to highlight how sexual assault cases are handled at some of the nation’s top universities, notes The Washington Post. Still, the list, released by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, does not specify the cases that are being examined at each school.
“We are making this list available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work and to foster better public awareness of civil rights,” Catherine E. Lhamon, the assistant education secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.
According to The New York Times, the list includes both private and public institutions. Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, Florida State, Ohio State, the University of Southern California and Boston University are just a few of the prominent schools listed.
President Obama has focused on curbing sexual assault in recent months, highlighted by a video released this week with male celebrities, telling men to report abuse when they see it. Obama also formed a White House task force earlier this year to investigate how universities handle sexual assault cases after several institutions were criticized.
In addition to the video, the White House launched NotAlone.gov.