Trump Administration Resolves Only One Title IX Sexual Assault Case
The Donald Trump administration has resolved only one federal campus sexual assault investigation in 20 months, shifting enforcement focus toward transgender protections.
The second administration of Donald Trump has overseen a sharp decline in the resolution of federal investigations into campus sexual assault and harassment. Public records show the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights resolved only one Title IX case in the first 20 months of the current term, a significant drop from the 150 cases resolved during the same period of the president's first term.
This shift in priority is evident at Cornell University, where the federal government has not responded to allegations that multiple men assaulted a student at a fraternity party. Simultaneously, the administration is pursuing investigations into the university regarding its admissions policies and handling of pro-Palestinian protests. Federal enforcement has pivoted toward eliminating gender-neutral bathrooms and removing protections for transgender students.
Spokespeople for the Justice Department and Education Department maintain that protecting women remains a priority. However, former civil rights officials and critics argue that federal accountability for sexual misconduct in higher education has effectively vanished. In response to the federal inaction at Cornell, New York Attorney General Letitia James was appointed as a special prosecutor to review the assault allegations.
