US shares final regulations governing Title IX
Photo by Shay MacLean
The U.S. Department of Education released the final regulations for sexual assault on college-based campuses under Title IX this spring. Since the change, all universities are required to adhere to the new order.
The latest regulations on Title IX were placed on colleges across the U.S., including Lee. Director of Student Care and Title IX coordinator Brittany Gates is in charge of monitoring compliance with Lee’s campus regulations.
“Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, and it promotes equal access to education,” Gates said. “Title IX has expanded over the past 30 years to include things such as sexual harassment. A lot of people originally associated Title IX with things like gender equity and athletics, and it was very much a gender equity [centered law] but has since expanded.”
Brittany Gates by Shay MacLean
Gates explained that the expansion of regulations covered by Title IX now holds the power of law.
“The new Title IX regulations in May did go through a law-making process, which is a new change for Title IX,” Gates said. “Title IX now holds the power of law, which is a notable change, as before it was guidance or recommendations, but now it does hold the power of law.”
Gates says students should be aware of their access to Title IX protection within the university if they find they have been subjected to a violation of policy.
“I think everyone deserves a right to a safe, educational environment to learn, to grow and to develop,” Gates said. “If anything is prohibiting their access to that, they should be informed of their rights and know how to seek help and resources to regain access to a safe education.”
Gates described Title IX violation as something that would meet the definition and jurisdiction of sexual harassment under university policy.
“We do have new policies that are on [Lee’s] website, but basically when we look at a Title IX violation, we are looking for a violation of our policy as it’s drafted,” Gates said. “A violation would be that meets the definition of sexual harassment as defined in our policy.”
Students are urged to contact Gates if they feel they have been subjected to a violation of Title IX policies.
“If a student feels like they have been subjected to sexual harassment, [Student Care] can immediately enact supportive resources to help the student feel safe and feel supported,” Gates said. “To reach out and inquire about help through the Title IX office can immediately give students access to supportive resources that might help them in the immediate moment.”
Gates emphasized that instances of sexual harassment on campus are taken seriously and, students who seek help are offered resources immediately.
“We take concerns of sexual harassment seriously on this campus. We have policies and protocol in place to support students who feel like our policy has been violated,” Gates said. “We immediately want to connect students to supportive resources.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos pushed for the new guidelines to take effect earlier this year and stated why she decided to pursue this extension to Title IX.
“Too many students have lost access to their education because their school inadequately responded when a student filed a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual assault,” DeVos said. “This new regulation requires schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process. We can and must continue to fight sexual misconduct in our nation’s schools, and this rule makes certain that fight continues.”
Students who feel like they have experienced a violation of Lee’s Title IX policy can directly reach out to Brittany Gates at bgates@leeuniversity.edu. To read the 2020 inclusions to Title IX and resources on campus, click here.
