FSU among 55 schools facing Education Dept. sex abuse investigations

WASHINGTON — The Education Department has taken the unprecedented step of releasing the names of the 55 colleges and universities currently facing a Title IX sexual abuse investigation.
 
The release comes two days after a White House task force promised greater government transparency on sexual assault in higher education.
 
The agency previously would confirm such an investigation when asked, but students and others were often unaware of them.

Florida State University was the only Florida school on the list.

"The Department will not disclose any case-specific facts or details about the institutions under investigation, aside from when the investigation began," officials said on the department's website.

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination at schools that receive federal funds. It is the same law that guarantees girls equal access to sports, but it also regulates institutions' handling of sexual violence and increasingly is being used by victims who say their school failed to protect them.

More Information: List of 55 Schools

WFTV