Politics
Maryland gives higher education agency 90 days to recommend campus assault policy changes
Gov. Wes Moore has ordered Maryland’s higher education agency to develop new statewide recommendations on campus sexual assault policies. The directive comes as state institutions reported 3,435 incidents of sexual assault and other misconduct during the 2024–2026 survey cycle.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s higher education agency has 90 days to recommend statewide improvements to campus sexual assault policies under a directive issued Oct. 15 by Gov. Wes Moore.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission will work with the Office of the Attorney General to prepare the recommendations, Moore said. The commission already has responsibility for reviewing campus sexual assault policies and proposing improvements; the governor’s order calls for a new set of statewide recommendations.
The directive follows national scrutiny of Cornell University’s handling of sexual assault allegations. In a letter, Moore said reports from students outside Maryland who came forward and were failed by institutions responsible for their safety were “deeply troubling.”
Maryland colleges and universities reported 3,435 incidents of sexual assault and other misconduct in the commission’s 2024–2026 campus climate and sexual violence survey cycle. The order does not specify what policy changes the commission should recommend.
The recommendations could shape how campuses across Maryland respond to reports of sexual violence. The commission’s 90-day deadline places the next step with state officials, who are to develop guidance in coordination with the attorney general’s office.