U.S. Department of Education fines Baylor University $461,656 for Clery Act violations

The U.S. Department of Education has fined Baylor University $461,656 for violations of the Clery Act, a federal campus crime reporting law, that occurred between 2011 and 2016, according to a university news release.

The fines came at the conclusion of a three-year investigation following a scandal in 2016, when an external review found the university in Waco had failed to respond to reports of sexual assaults by football players. The controversy led to the firing of head football coach Art Briles and the removal of Baylor President Ken Starr.

The Department of Education review included an analysis of the university’s Annual Fire Safety and Security Reports, as well as its Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program and other related safety and security materials, according to the news release. The Clery Act aims to provide transparency around campus crime policy and statistics.

The violations included “lack of administrative capability, failure to report accurate crime statistics in the annual security report, failure to comply with timely warning issuance and policy provisions, and failure to maintain an accurate, complete daily crime log,” the release said.

Baylor will not be required to undergo ongoing Clery compliance reviews, according to the university.

“The university has completed significant corrective actions in the administration of and compliance with the Clery Act,” the release said.

“We have worked diligently to resolve the issues that prevented Baylor from effectively implementing our Clery obligations in the past, and we believe that the Department of Education took note of our corrective actions and found them acceptable,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said in the release. “Going forward, we aim to set a standard among colleges and universities in the administration of the Clery Act on our campus.”