Pelosi condemns due process for students accused of rape

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who wants to be House speaker, condemned new rules being implemented by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that give due process to students accused of sex assault on college campuses.

DeVos' actions follow the controversy over the Obama administration's rule that a "preponderance of evidence" standard be used for such cases instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt."

The "preponderance" standard holds that it's more likely than not that an incident occurred. Consequently, many students have been punished on evidence that would fail in a criminal court.

DeVos previously suspended Obama's rules, and now is preparing new ones.

The new Title IX policies call on schools to conduct objective investigations and provide "prompt and equitable" resolutions. And just as an institution's treatment of a complainant could constitute sex discrimination, so also would the treatment of the accused under the new rules.

The rules also require that schools approach all investigations under the presumption that the accused is innocent until proved guilty.

That enraged Pelosi, the House minority leader, who tweeted: "BetsyDeVosED has consistently worked to undermine Title IX protections for survivors of campus sexual assault. Her plan to create extraordinary new barriers to justice for survivors is an insult to students across the country."

.@BetsyDeVosED has consistently worked to undermine Title IX protections for survivors of campus sexual assault. Her plan to create extraordinary new barriers to justice for survivors is an insult to students across the country. https://t.co/enx9M5e6NF

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) August 30, 2018

In her statement, Pelosi said Democrats "will always protect students, victims and survivors – not betray them."

"As we stand firm against this administration's relentless attacks on the rights of women and students, we will continue to fight For The People to ensure our government works for everyone."

Twitchy, the Twitter news curation site, noted California resident Cynthia Garrett responded to Pelosi's tweet writing: "You either have no shame and are intentionally lying about the leaked draft Title IX policies, or you are embarrassingly uneducated about what has been proposed. Either way, call me one seriously unimpressed California resident."