Betsy DeVos Will Probably Leave The White House. Here's Why
Although President-elect Joe Biden hasn't taken office yet, he'll appoint a new Cabinet once he takes over in Washington D.C. If you're not familiar with how it works, it goes like this: The president is elected and then selects people to take positions in the Cabinet. These positions include Chief of Staff, Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, to name a few roles. Once the president has filled these positions, they get confirmed by the Senate.
The position of Secretary of Education is currently held by Betsy DeVos, under President Donald Trump's administration. But once President-elect Biden assumes office in January 2021, her time in that role will likely end. During her time in this role, DeVos has been in charge of education policy, funding, and laws in the primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools in the United States. DeVos' tenure in this position has not been without controversy, which is why many look forward to her removal from the Cabinet.
With all of that in mind, here's what you need to know about DeVos' controversial time in the role.
Betsy DeVos has sparked many controversies
From the outset, Betsy DeVos's nomination sparked controversy due to her lack of background in education. What's more? In the first year alone, according to TIME, DeVos caused an uproar when she began rolling back former President Barack Obama's policies, including how schools handle sexual assault accusations. It took until August 2020 for this policy to take effect, with The Washington Post stating about the change, "The rule expands the rights of the accused in part by creating a judicial-like process that gives the accused the rights to a live hearing with multiple panel members and to cross-examine accusers, which was not previously allowed." The outlet added, "It bars schools from allowing one person both investigate and judge complaints. It also, among other changes, narrows the definition of sexual harassment."
This particular ruling faced criticism because it's possible people will be too afraid to report sexual assault with this policy in place, as it is seemingly lenient on the accused, according to The Washington Post. One of DeVos's other highly controversial opinions was that of transgender students' rights to use the bathrooms they choose while in school. It upset many, with LGBTQ+ advocates arguing that it would harm transgender students.
It is most certainly a relief for those who have disagreed with her policies and opinions that she will no longer have this role come January 2021 when Joe Biden takes office.