LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty University detained a student Thursday after they allegedly threatened another student with a knife on campus, marking a notable shift in the school’s crime reporting practices following last year’s record federal fine for safety violations.
The university issued a “timely warning alert” detailing the incident’s location, providing safety guidance to the campus community that the school is in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act. The response that stands in stark contrast to past practices that drew federal scrutiny.
“When there’s somebody out there committing violence, we need to be notified, particularly if they’re at large,” said John Fishwick, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia and owner of Fishwick & Associates Law Firm. “What Liberty did with this knife incident, which was an allegation of using a knife for an assault, a very serious thing on a college campus, they got that warning out so people knew where it took place and can hopefully take precautions to keep themselves safe.”
The alert’s thoroughness comes just one year after the U.S. Department of Education levied a $14 million fine against Liberty — the largest penalty ever issued under the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires colleges to report campus crimes and warn students about safety threats.
“The Clery Act was passed by Congress in 1990,” Fishwick explained. “It places a requirement on all colleges and universities that give financial aid to their students to have certain reporting requirements of crime on their campuses.”
These requirements include providing an annual report detailing crimes committed within the previous three years and safety measures implemented, which must be distributed to students.
Federal investigators found the university had systematically failed to accurately report campus crimes for years, particularly sexual assaults, and often didn’t warn students about serious safety threats.
“Every student and every parent of a student needs to know that the campus is going to be safe, and they need to be able to evaluate what the information is,” Fishwick said. “The Clery Act puts a real requirement to accurately report the data of the crimes and to make it available to the student body.”
The university’s troubled history extends beyond reporting issues. Liberty currently faces multiple lawsuits alleging it punished students under its honor code after they reported sexual assaults and failed to properly investigate these incidents.
While private universities can maintain their own codes of conduct, Fishwick emphasized that safety must remain paramount. “Any school can have a code of conduct, whether it’s a religious school or a public school... But I think paramount for any college or university is to make sure that their students are safe. That’s really a number one priority.”
Under federal monitoring, Liberty must follow Clery Act guidelines to submit accurate annual crime reports, improve transparency, and maintain strict notification protocols. The university says it has invested millions in safety improvements.
“I would expect Liberty is doing this now,” Fishwick said, “but I would make sure that they’re consulting with law enforcement to make sure they have the best procedures in place to keep the campus safe... and that they have a very vetted system of making sure crimes are reported accurately. And in fact, when in doubt, err on the side of reporting it.”
While Thursday’s incident remains under investigation, the university’s prompt response suggests a departure from past practices that led to federal intervention. However, federal monitors continue to watch closely to ensure these changes become permanent.
Notably, while the Clery Act allows for federal oversight and penalties, Fishwick pointed out that it “does not let somebody file a lawsuit based on a violation of the Clery Act. The Clery Act is enforced by the government... they can revoke federal funds on the most serious end or fine that university.”