The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Betsy DeVos Says She Wants to Keep Schools Safe and Equitable. Her Policies Tell a Different Story
DeVos rescinded the “preponderance of the evidence” standard—which Adaku Onyeka-Crawford, senior counsel for education at the National Women’s Law Center, classifies as the fairest available—in favor of a much murkier “clear and convincing evidence” standard. “If someone has a bias against survivors, it’s very difficult to say what is and is not convincing,” Onyeka-Crawford tells Teen Vogue. While “preponderance of the evidence” basically requires one party to tip the scales slightly in their direction, explains Onyeka-Crawford, clear and convincing evidence holds the complainant to a higher burden of proof. Not only is DeVos’s standard “vague,” Onyeka-Crawford says, it also “stacks the deck against survivors.”



