Liberty University (LU) was ordered to pay a $14 million fine from the Department of Education for violating federal law regarding safety standards.
According to a press release from the ED, the fine comes as a result of a settlement agreement with the university over ongoing violations of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act).
“This is the largest fine ever imposed for violating the Clery Act, which requires institutions to provide important information about public safety issues to current students, parents, employees, prospective students and employees, and the public postsecondary schools participating in the federal student aid programs,” the press release stated.
The investigation that led to the fine began in Feb. 2022, when the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) received several complaints that the school had a pattern of conduct that violated the act.
The final report listed 11 findings where the school fell short, including when it comes to properly classifying and disclosing crime statistics (via The Washington Post):
The agency’s review found that Liberty did not notify people on campus about emergencies and dangerous situations such as bomb threats, the attempted abduction of a young girl, and people accused of repeated acts of sexual violence. The university did not keep an accurate and complete crime log during the 2016 to 2023 review period, the report found.
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The report paints a portrait of a campus culture that made victims of sexual assault reluctant to speak up about their assaults: “Over the course of this review period, several sexual assault victims were punished for violating the student code of conduct known as ‘The Liberty Way,’ while their assailants were left unpunished.” It noted that Liberty has said it has begun revising its sexual misconduct policy and the Liberty Way to ensure they do not conflict with Clery Act requirements.
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"Students, 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," FSA Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray said in a statement.
In a statement, LU President Dondi Costin said, Liberty has taken the initiative to invest more than $10 million in significant advancements on campus since 2022. This investment has been made in areas such as our infrastructure, security assets, and surveillance equipment.”
In addition, the university’s statement said that the school has been subject to “unfair treatment” from the ED.
“While the university maintains that we have repeatedly endured selective and unfair treatment by the Department, the university also concurs there were numerous deficiencies that existed in the past. We acknowledge and regret these past failures and have taken these necessary improvements seriously,” the school said.
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