Liberty University fined record $14 million for campus safety law violations

CNN —

The Department of Education imposed a record $14 million fine on Liberty University, a Christian college located in Virginia, over violations of a campus safety law, officials said Tuesday.

The Department of Education said it was the largest fine ever imposed for violating the Clery Act, which requires colleges to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information.

Liberty University also agreed to spend an additional $2 million to improve on-campus safety over the next two years.

The Department of Education initiated the review in 2022 after receiving complaints that alleged the college committed violations of the Clery Act. The review also followed a 2021 lawsuit, in which 12 women claimed that the school created an environment that increased the likelihood of sexual assault and rape. The case was settled in 2022.

The Department of Education’s Clery Act review, conducted by the office of Federal Student Aid, identified 11 violations, such as failing to maintain an accurate, daily crime log; failing to issue timely warnings to the campus community about reportable crimes; and failing to comply with numerous sexual violence prevention and response requirements.

“Through the Clery Act schools are obligated to take action that creates safe and secure campus communities, investigate complaints, and responsibly disclose information about crimes and other safety concerns. We will continue to hold schools accountable if they fail to do so,” Richard Cordray, Federal Student Aid’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The legislation was passed in 1990 after Jeanne Clery was raped and murdered in her college dorm at Lehigh University, according to the Clery Center.

In 2019,