The U.S. Department of Education completed its Clery Act program review of Baylor University, fining Baylor $461,656 for violations that occurred between 2011 and 2016.
The Clery Act—signed into law in 1990—requires universities that receive federal funds to report information about campus crime, along with efforts to improve safety.
The Department of Education began its review of Clery Act compliance at Baylor University in 2017 after reports that sexual assaults on campus were greater than numbers Baylor had reported.
In 2016, Baylor regents fired Head Football Coach Art Briles, demoted President Ken Starr and suspended Athletic Director Ian McCaw in response to the Pepper Hamilton law firm’s investigation into sexual violence involving the athletic department. Starr and McCaw subsequently resigned.
Baylor’s Clery violations included lack of administrative capability, failure to report accurate crime statistics in the annual security report, failure to comply with timely warning issuance and policy provisions, and failure to maintain an accurate and complete daily crime log.
“Baylor does not plan to contest this fine, as we contend it is fair given the circumstances and in comparison to Clery-related penalties levied against other schools,” Baylor President Linda Livingstone stated in a message to faculty and staff.
“We have worked diligently to resolve the issues that prevented Baylor from effectively implementing our Clery obligations in the past, and we believe that the Department of Education took note of our corrective actions and found them acceptable. Going forward, we aim to set a standard among colleges and universities in the administration of the Clery Act on our campus.”
The Department of Education review included an analysis of the university’s annual fire safety and security reports, as well as its drug and alcohol abuse prevention program and other related safety and security materials.
Because Baylor completed significant corrective actions in the administration of and compliance with the Clery Act, the university will not be required to undergo ongoing Clery compliance reviews related to the Department of Education inquiry, Livingstone noted.
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