The Department of Education has ruled that UVA cannot prevent students from talking about their sexual assaults or their experience with the school’s Sexual Assault Board. Under the school’s previous policy, which was revised in 2005 and may now be in partial compliance with the ruling, students could face disciplinary sanctions if they spoke to anyone about their case or its outcome.

Although UVA claimed that such a gag-rule was necessary to comply with regulations governing student privacy, a former UVA student, with the assistance of Security on Campus, successfully argued that the Clery Act prevents such a gag-rule in cases of sexual assault and the Department of Education agreed.

I have not yet been able to find a copy of the letter the Dept. of Ed. sent to UVA, I will write with more details when I do. But many schools have versions of this rule – Kristen mentions it in her story from Adelphi – and this decision should help a lot of students who are afraid to talk about their experiences for fear of being punished by their school.