Students alleging they were raped or sexually assaulted at the University of Virginia would no longer have to meet the high standard of “clear and convincing evidence” under new rules proposed by school officials and reported by the Washington Post. The new standard in such cases would be a “preponderance of the evidence,” which essentially means it is more likely than not that the assault occurred.
The federal government last month asked colleges to adopt the “preponderance” standard, which makes it easier for victims to prevail. The university is one of many that have been accused of ignoring sexual assaults, minimizing them, ruling against victims or trying to make them go away. Now, the University of Virginia hopes its regulations can become a national model.