Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday unveiled new campus sexual assault rules that bolster the rights of accused rapists and reduce legal liabilities for colleges.

The dramatic shift — including giving accused sex attackers the right to cross-examine their alleged victims — rolls back zero tolerance policies that DeVos claims led to some students being railroaded.

“We can continue to combat sexual misconduct without abandoning our core values of fairness, presumption of innocence and due process,” she said.

On Wednesday Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued final rules on how all schools will address allegations of sexual misconduct, securing new protections for students and faculty accused of misconduct.

The new rules modify Title IX, a 1972 law prohibiting “discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance,” narrowing the definition of sexual harassment and requiring schools to challenge evidence and cross-examine students via a live hearing, among other things detailed in the more than 2,000-page rule.

On Wednesday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos formally announced the new rules related to Title IX—the federal statute that governs sexual misconduct in schools—thus completing a process that began more than a year ago, when the government first unveiled its proposed changes.

The new rules aim to protect victims of sexual misconduct while also establishing fairer procedures for the accused. The department believes the new rules will "balance the scales of justice on campuses across America," a Department of Education spokesperson said during today's press briefing.