Those of us who write about higher education can pay too much attention to America’s elite universities. Schools like Harvard, Yale and Stanford are seen as virtual cultural superpowers, and the battle over these schools is sometimes seen as a proxy for battles over the future of the country itself. Last week, Fox News reported that Liberty is facing the possibility of an “unprecedented” $37.5 million fine from the U.S. Department of Education. The education department has been investigating violations of the Clery Act, a federal statute that requires federally funded colleges and universities to publicly report data about campus crime. While Liberty’s fine is not yet set, the contents of a leaked education department report — first reported by Susan Svrluga in The Washington Post — leave little doubt as to why it may be this large.

---

Persons: I’d, Larry Nassar, Nassar, —, Susan Svrluga Organizations: Schools, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Ivy League, Liberty University, Christian, Fox News, U.S . Department of Education, Michigan State University, The Washington Locations: Virginia, United States, Christian America, Liberty, The