Last week, a new civil rights bill was introduced in Congress. (Reclaim Civil Rights also links to the other organizations that support the bill and you can track the status of the bill and read the text on Thomas (S. 2554 and H.R. 5129)). The bill is intended to clarify a number of previous civil rights bills in light of recent court decisions that placed serious restrictions on their efficacy. I am blogging about it on SAFER’s website because the bill would make it easier for students to sue schools (K-12 and colleges) at which they were sexually harassed, abused, or assaulted if the school did not reasonably responded to their concerns. As the law currently stands, students have fewer protections than employees and so schools have less incentive than workplaces to curb their employees and educate against hostile environments. This excellent position paper explains why the changes are absolutely crucial. (Found via a Feminist Law Professors link.)

The changes of this law being passed under the current president are probably slim, but worth fighting for. So check to see if your Representative and Senators are sponsors (Senate sponsors) (House sponsors) to the bill, and if not, call and ask that they sign on. Mention the student sexual harassment provisions specifically – our elected officials need to know that we care and that we’re paying attention. If this bill were to pass, it could be a powerful tool for fighting administrations that turn a blind eye to sexual assaults and rape culture on their campuses.