California Attorney General Bonta Issues Statewide Title IX Guidance: State Protections Against Campus Sexual Assault Exceed Federal Standards
The California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, on Oct. 22 in Oakland issued an updated guidance letter to colleges and universities, local law enforcement agencies and campus security personnel across California, reaffirming the state's protections against campus sexual assault and sexual harassment. The Attorney General's Office said the letter followed public outcry and a national re-examination of campus safety after severe institutional failures alleged in the Jane Doe v. Cornell University litigation, and clarifies that California's protections remain in place regardless of changes to federal rules.
The letter explains the protections under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and notes that California law independently requires campuses to maintain policies and operational agreements with local law enforcement on sexual assault, hate crimes and violent crime, and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
The office cited figures that more than 20% of students will have experienced sexual assault by the time they complete four or more years of college, that more than half of campus sexual assaults occur in the first months of the academic year, that most go unreported, and that LGBTQ+ students, low-income students, students with disabilities and other underrepresented groups face elevated risk.
Bonta said it is a moment of reckoning for how society responds to sexual assault, and that his office will continue to support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable and work with educational institutions so all students can safely access educational opportunities.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州总检察长 Rob Bonta 与学生在一起（2023年）。照片：公共领域（加州总检察长办公室），经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Attorney General Rob Bonta with students, 2023. Photo: Public domain (California Attorney General's Office), via Wikimedia Commons.
