Michigan has sued U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, joining 17 other states in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s final rule that violates Title IX and weakens protections for sexual assault and harassment victims.  Attorney General Dana Nessel, with THE support and coordination of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, joined the fight against the new rule which, if it goes into effect, would weaken protections for sexual assault and harassment victims and create inequitable proceedings crafted to silence students from kindergarten through college.

“I find it appalling that the Department of Education would spend its time and resources on weakening protections for sexual assault and harassment victims on school campuses here in Michigan and across this nation. This is a blatant disregard for the pain and fear victims of sexual assault and harassment face, and discourages reporting of these offenses,” Nessel said in a statement.

“The fact of the matter is this: the final rule will make educational institutions less safe and diminish their ability to promptly deter, stop and prevent sexual harassment and violence. That reason alone is enough for Governor (Gretchen) Whitmer and I to protect our students and join this lawsuit as the State of Michigan.”

Whitmer added in a statement, “As a survivor and a mother, it pains me to see how these new rules will water down Title IX protections for our students, which is why Michigan is joining several other states in challenging these new rules.”

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