College Safety, Clery Act Compliance and Violations

The Clery Act is a landmark federal law designed to promote transparency around campus crime policy and statistics. It mandates that colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs disclose information about crime on and around their campuses.

Parents and prospective students can find Clery Act and safety information for a particular college several ways:

1. Campus Security and Fire Safety Reports (Clery Reports):
   Every college and university that participates in federal financial aid programs is required by law to publish an annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics on campus crime, safety policies, and procedures. These reports are typically available on the institution’s website, often under sections titled "Campus Safety," "Security," or "Clery Act Compliance."

2. Department of Education's Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool:
   The U.S. Department of Education offers an online tool where you can search for a specific college and view its Clery Act statistics. This tool provides detailed information on reported crimes, campus safety measures, and more. The tool can be accessed here.

3. College Navigator:
   Another resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education, College Navigator allows you to search for schools and includes a section on campus safety. While less detailed than the Clery Report, it still provides important statistics on campus crime.

4. School Websites:
   Many colleges have a dedicated section on their website for campus safety, where they publish their Clery Reports, safety programs, emergency procedures, and other relevant information. It’s often beneficial to contact the school’s campus safety office directly if you have specific questions or need additional details.

5. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):
   The NCES site offers various tools and reports that can be useful in understanding the safety environment of a college campus. While it's not specifically focused on Clery Act compliance, it provides a broader context for evaluating campus safety.

Non-compliance with Clery Act regulations can result in significant fines from the U.S. Department of Education. Here are the top five colleges that have faced hefty fines for Clery Act violations.

1. Liberty University

Fine Amount: $14 million. In March 2024, Liberty University was fined a record-breaking $14 million for numerous violations of the Clery Act. The investigation, covering the years 2016 to 2023, revealed systemic issues, including discouraging crime reporting, inadequate responses to sexual violence, and failure to issue timely warnings about dangerous situations such as gas leaks. Liberty University also failed to maintain accurate crime logs and did not properly disclose required crime statistics.

2. Michigan State University

Fine Amount: $4.5 million. In 2019, Michigan State University was fined $4.5 million for its mishandling of sexual abuse allegations against former team doctor Larry Nassar. The university failed to report these incidents and did not comply with Clery Act requirements to disclose violent acts on campus. This case highlighted systemic failures in the university's compliance with federal mandates.

3. University of California, Berkeley

Fine Amount: $2.35 million. In 2020, UC Berkeley was fined $2.35 million for Clery Act violations, including the failure to report hate crimes and disclose security policies in multiple Annual Security Reports (ASRs). This fine was part of a broader enforcement action by the Department of Education to ensure compliance with campus safety regulations.

4. Pennsylvania State University

Fine Amount: $2.3975 million. Penn State was fined $2.3975 million in 2016 for failing to comply with the Clery Act. The violations were related to the university's inadequate handling of crime statistics and failure to provide timely warnings and emergency notifications. The fine was part of the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal, which brought significant scrutiny to the university's safety practices.

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fine Amount: $1.5 million. In 2020, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was fined $1.5 million for Clery Act violations. The university was found to have insufficient administrative capability to oversee Clery Act reporting, which included failing to report hate crimes and not disclosing security policies in ASRs.

These fines illustrate the importance of investigating college safety measures as part of your due diligence process when considering future college plans. Clery Act information is released on October 1, reflecting the most recent statistics.