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DeVos Scraps Obama Guidance On Investigating Campus Sex Assault

WASHINGTON (WWJ/AP) - The Trump administration is scrapping Obama-era guidance on investigating campus sexual assault, replacing it with new interim instructions for universities.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a native of Grand Rapids, has said the Obama rules were unfairly skewed against the students accused of assault.

In a statement Friday, DeVos said:

"This interim guidance will help schools as they work to combat sexual misconduct and will treat all students fairly. Schools must continue to confront these horrific crimes and behaviors head-on. There will be no more sweeping them under the rug. But the process also must be fair and impartial, giving everyone more confidence in its outcomes."

The temporary guidance will be in place while the Education Department gathers comments and comes up with new rules.

This comes as a high-profile case pends at Michigan State University. A trio of former MSU football players accused of sexual assaulting a young woman in an apartment bathroom waived their preliminary hearings this week.

The three were kicked off the team after criminal charges against them were made public in June.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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