{"id":13009,"date":"2024-03-07T21:29:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T15:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/07\/liberty-university-fined-14-million-by-dept-of-education-for-campus-safety-violations\/"},"modified":"2024-03-07T21:29:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T15:59:02","slug":"liberty-university-fined-14-million-by-dept-of-education-for-campus-safety-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/07\/liberty-university-fined-14-million-by-dept-of-education-for-campus-safety-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberty University Fined $14 Million by Dept. of Education for Campus Safety Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday it is fining Liberty University $14 million as part of a settlement with the school over various campus safety violations that broke federal law.<\/p>\n

It is the largest fine ever imposed for violating what is known as the Clery Act, which was signed into law in 1990 and places requirements on colleges and universities on the subject of crime with the goal of increasing accountability and transparency.<\/p>\n

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In addition to the $14 million fine, Liberty has agreed to spend $2 million \u201cover the next two years for on-campus safety improvements and compliance enhancements,\u201d the Department of Education said.<\/p>\n

The fine came two years after the department launched its investigation, which found that the university had violated the Clery Act. The investigation was launched following complaints.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents, faculty, and staff deserve to know that they can be safe and secure in their school communities. We respond aggressively to complaints about campus safety and security,\u201d said Richard Cordray, chief operating officer of the department\u2019s office of Federal Student Aid. \u201cThrough the Clery Act schools are obligated to take action that creates safe and secure campus communities, investigate complaints, and responsibly disclose information about crimes and other safety concerns. We will continue to hold schools accountable if they fail to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Department of Education said<\/a> Liberty failed to: 1) \u201ccomply with a number of sexual violence prevention and response requirements,\u201d 2) \u201cissue timely warnings to advise the campus community about criminal activity that may have posed a significant or ongoing threat,\u201d and, 3) issue emergency notifications to advise the campus community about emergencies or dangerous situations that may have posed a threat to health or safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liberty University, in a statement<\/a>, said it is \u201cfirmly committed to Clery Act compliance and the safety and security of our students and staff without exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Department\u2019s Clery Act Program Review covered more than seven years and is, by far, the most extensive review period of any higher education institution in the Department\u2019s history of published reviews,\u201d the statement said. \u201cMany of the Department\u2019s methodologies, findings, and calculations in the report were drastically different from their historic treatment of other universities. Liberty disagrees with this unfair treatment. Nevertheless, the university was able to negotiate a final settlement and outline the terms of the Department\u2019s two-year post-monitoring process in a collaborative manner.<\/p>\n

\u201c…It is a new day at Liberty University. We now have a model Clery program for compliance with many campus improvements that will benefit our students and staff for years to come. We will continue to work in cooperation with the Department to prioritize student safety and to advocate for a fair, consistent, and principled standard of Clery compliance that is applied equally to all universities without prejudice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: \u00a9Getty Images\/Alex Wong\/Staf<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press,\u00a0<\/em>Christianity Today<\/em>, <\/em>The Christian Po<\/em>st, <\/em>the\u00a0<\/em>Leaf-Chronicle<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>the Toronto Star<\/em> and\u00a0<\/em>the Knoxville News-Sentinel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n