RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The ACLU is asking Virginia's 15 public universities for information to determine whether their sexual assault policies comply with federal guidelines.

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The request comes more than a year after the U.S. Department of Education informed universities that the Title IX anti-discrimination law requires schools receiving federal funds to protect students from gender-based violence, including sexual assaults.

The department's letter suggested schools should lower the standard of proof required in disciplinary proceedings to make victims more willing to come forward. Also, schools are required to promptly investigate sexual assault complaints even if police are conducting their own investigation.

Claire Gastanaga, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said Friday that students in Virginia deserve to know if their schools comply with federal law.