S. Department of Education on Tuesday.

The conservative Christian school, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, will also allocate an additional $2 million towards campus safety improvements related to the Clery Act. This federal law mandates that institutions receiving federal funds must disclose crime statistics.

Under the settlement agreement, Liberty University will undergo monitoring for a period of two years to ensure compliance with safety guidelines laid out by the Department of Education. Rich Cordray, chief operating officer for student aid, emphasized that the aim of the Clery Act is to foster "safe and secure campus communities" by responsibly disclosing information about crimes and other safety concerns.

The $14 million fine represents the largest penalty ever imposed for violations of the Clery Act, as confirmed by the federal student aid office. This conclusion comes after a thorough two-year investigation, which revealed systemic underreporting of crime complaints by Liberty officials and instances where students were dissuaded from reporting them.

During the investigation, it was also discovered that the university lacked the necessary resources to adequately address and investigate these complaints. Additionally, Liberty failed to report a stalking incident involving a student athlete, retaliated against an employee who voiced concerns related to the Clery Act, and tampered with evidence relevant to the Department of Education's investigation.

Ryan Helfenbein, spokesman for Liberty University, acknowledged the settlement agreement and admitted that there were "numerous deficiencies that existed in the past." However, Helfenbein also alleged that the university had been subjected to "selective and unfair treatment" by the Department of Education. He stated that the department's methodologies, findings, and calculations differed significantly from their previous treatment of other universities.

Liberty University, founded in 1971, is a renowned Christian college with a student population of 93,000 enrolled both on-campus and online. Despite the departure of Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the late Jerry Falwell and former university president, in 2020 amidst a sex scandal involving his wife, the institution continues to maintain its influential stature.

The Department of Education's investigation was initiated in 2022, following multiple lawsuits filed in 2021 by twelve women who accused the university of discouraging victims of sexual assault from reporting their experiences. The lawsuits claimed that Liberty University exploited "The Liberty Way," the institution's honor code, to silence victims and protect individuals accused of assault, often male athletes.

Although Liberty is a private institution, many of its students receive federal financial aid, thereby obligating the university to abide by Clery Act regulations and report relevant crime statistics and campus safety information to the government.

In a separate incident, two women at Hillsdale College, an influential Christian school in Michigan, recently filed a lawsuit alleging that the institution conducted "phony investigations" into their sexual assault allegations and subsequently blamed them for the assaults. However, since Hillsdale College does not accept any government funding, including federal aid, it falls outside the purview of Title IX.

The consequences faced by Liberty University serve as a reminder of the importance of adhering to campus crime reporting laws and prioritizing the safety and well-being of students. The $14 million fine and additional safety improvements signify a concerted effort to rectify past deficiencies and ensure a secure environment for all members of the university community.