Title IX states that no person should be discriminated against on the basis of sex in any educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. Betsy DeVos, the current Secretary of Education, has proposed rules redefining several aspects of Title IX. The Harvard Journal of Law and Gender has collected comments on this significant rule change from a wide variety of sources.
This week our spotlight is on comments regarding survivors of sexual assault. The new rule significantly changes the requirements of sexual harassment and sexual assault investigations, including live hearings with direct cross-examination, a narrower definition of harassment, and a standard of evidence more favorable to individuals accused of harassment or assault.
The following nine comments focus on these changes and the ways they will impact survivors.
Center for Survivor Agency and Justice
Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Sexual Assault Legal Institute
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
Network for Victim Recovery of DC
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force
Stop Sexual Assault in Schools
We thank these authors for their important perspectives on the rule change. We hope their voices will inform the rule change and contribute to the most equitable and fair interpretation of Title IX.
The full list of comments may be found on our website here.