Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered a comprehensive inspection of the "Enough is Enough" law at all higher education institutions across the state Tuesday morning.
This will ensure all colleges and universities are fulfilling the law which protects students from sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking and are taking all actions necessary to investigate allegations of sexual assault on campus.
7 Eyewitness News' reporting of the Niagara County Community College sexual assault issues highlight the need for a statewide review of universities and their compliance with the law.
"Enough is Enough" was signed into law in 2015 and is a leading policy to end sexual assault on college and university campuses across the country.
"As Governor of New York, but even more so as a father, the safety of New York's students is my top priority," Governor Cuomo said. "New York led the nation by signing into law the strongest policy to combat sexual assault on college campuses, and now we are ensuring every university fully meets their obligations under that law. We must take every measure to protect our students from harm, and we will accept nothing less from our state's colleges and universities. Enough is enough."
A thorough review of records and procedures will be evaluated at higher education institutions across the state. The review will be conducted by members of the New York State Police, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Health, Office of Victims Services, and Division of Human Rights and SED.
The review will specifically look for each institution's compliance with requirements to adopt procedures, students and staff training, and notification of rights and conduct of investigations. These requirements are under Article 129-B of the state education law.
Governor Cuomo is directing the review is to be completed for all schools by the beginning of the fall semester. If the review raises any red flags, further investigations will be conducted.
