Dive Brief:
- The 1.6-million-member American Federation of Teachers is urging Republican leaders in Congress to pass legislation addressing campus sexual assault next year.
- The federation, one of the largest teacher unions, has launched a petition in support of proposed legislation on the issue, the Huffington Post reported.
- The president of the union, Randi Weingarten, revealed in an essay on Jezebel that she was sexually assaulted when she was in college.
Dive Insight:
Combating campus sexual assault appears to be an issue that can draw bipartisan support. The specific proposal referenced by the AFT is the Campus Accountability & Safety Act, which has sponsors both Democrat and Republican, including: Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Marco Rubio (R-FL). The union represents teachers across a wide spectrum, including higher education.