Kentucky: Governor Asks Colleges to Review Sexual Assault Policies Within 90 Days
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at his weekly Team Kentucky briefing on October 21 that he has asked every college and university in the commonwealth to review their sexual assault policies and practices over the next 90 days, covering awareness campaigns, access to resources, reporting steps and due process.
Beshear also asked the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education to ensure that public university board members understand sexual harassment policies, reporting practices and investigation procedures. He said the request does not suggest any institution has failed students, but is a way to look for improvements, and that his office contacted the state's major universities before the announcement and received encouraging responses.
The request comes amid a national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses, including a lawsuit involving Cornell University. Schedules and review arrangements will be set out by the institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education.
In his letter, Beshear said administrators should examine awareness campaigns, ease of access to resources, reporting steps, victim services, due process, bystander prevention, and education about retaliation. Beshear said his office had contacted the state's major institutions before the announcement and received positive responses.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：肯塔基州议会大厦（Frankfort）。摄影：TheLexingtonTimes，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort. Photo by TheLexingtonTimes, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
