Attorney General Becerra Contrasts California's Protections Against Sexual Assault to Federal Government’s Roll Back of Protections

Studies suggest that as many as one in five undergraduate female students has experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault

SACRAMENTO – With the beginning of a new academic year, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra delivered a guidance letter to colleges, universities, local law enforcement agencies, and campus security personnel across the State clarifying protections against sexual assault in California. Questions have arisen concerning the efforts by public officials to keep students safe from sexual violence following the federal government’s recent decision to significantly roll back campus sexual assault protections. The Attorney General’s letter emphasizes the importance of Title IX compliance. It highlights California Department of Justice (DOJ) resources and training, important procedures required under California law, and tools campuses may utilize to prevent and respond to sexual violence. 

“Campus sexual violence is both a public safety and public health issue,” said Attorney General Becerra. “School administrators across the State have expressed an interest in receiving training to conduct sensitive assault investigations to better protect their students. While the federal government rolls back important protections for survivors of campus sexual violence, my office is stepping up its work with law enforcement to provide these trainings in an effort to effectively investigate these crimes and bring those responsible to justice.”

The DOJ, in collaboration with local law enforcement, offers training sessions to equip universities and colleges with information and best practices to handle campus sexual violence. College and university administrators, campus police, and security personnel who are interested in receiving this training should contact the DOJ by emailing campussafety@doj.ca.gov.

For additional information regarding resources for survivors of sexual violence, please visit the DOJ website at https://oag.ca.gov/campus-sexual-assault.

A copy of the letter is attached to the electronic version of this press release at www.oag.ca.gov.