To prioritize the safety and well-being of college students in Illinois and across the country, state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, is backing a measure calling on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to keep in place important protections for survivors of sexual assault on college campuses. “The decision to go to college is an important decision for many young people and their families, and we should be doing everything possible to assure them that their campus is safe,” said Lilly. “It is unacceptable for students to fear their safety on college campuses, or for perpetrators of sexual assault to face no repercussions for their actions.”

Lilly is a co-sponsor of House Resolution 550, which urges Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to keep in place certain guidelines that obligate universities to combat sexual assault and harassment under Title IX. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics have found that, on average, 20 percent of college women have experienced sexual assault on campus, and Lilly is stressing the importance of ensuring that schools respond effectively and compassionately to the needs of survivors. “It is important that we are making our campuses safer and protecting the survivors of these crimes,” said Lilly. “I am calling on Secretary DeVos to put student safety first and keep protections for survivors of sexual assault in place.” Lilly represents the 78th District, which includes parts of Chicago, Oak Park, Elmwood Park, River Grove, Franklin Park, and Melrose Park.