Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released a proposed rule to amend the regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX)....more
11/19/2018
/ Clery Act ,
Colleges ,
Department of Education ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
OCR ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently revealed the agency's proposal to narrow the legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans discrimination based on sex in...more
10/26/2018
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Non-Discrimination Rules ,
Protected Class ,
School Restrooms ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
On September 22, 2017, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a "Dear Colleague Letter" that withdrew two key Title IX documents issued during the Obama administration—a Dear Colleague Letter...more
9/27/2017
/ Colleges ,
Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Federal Funding ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities
The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced the resolution of two Title IX sexual violence complaints filed against a private university in Ohio. In the resolution letter and agreement, which...more
The U.S. Departments of Justice and Education have withdrawn existing guidance on transgender students and issued a new Dear Colleague Letter calling into question whether Title IX requires that schools permit students to use...more
3/10/2017
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
School Restrooms ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Transgender
After years of decisions in which the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) criticized colleges' and universities' handling of claims filed by individuals alleging sexual assault on campus, OCR now...more
The U.S. Supreme Court today affirmed the University of Texas at Austin's admissions program, which permits consideration of an applicant’s race as one of a number of factors in admissions decisions. Justice Kennedy authored...more
6/24/2016
/ Affirmative Action ,
College Admissions ,
Colleges ,
Diversity ,
Educational Institutions ,
Fisher v University of Texas ,
Race Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Strict Scrutiny Standard ,
Universities ,
University of Texas
The U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued a joint Dear Colleague Letter on May 13, 2016, clarifying that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status. The guidance states...more
5/16/2016
/ Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Educational Institutions ,
FERPA ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender
The U.S. Department of Education is creating a Student Aid Enforcement Unit to respond to allegations of illegal actions by higher education institutions. The announcement closely follows the Department's and Federal Trade...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Kent State University (KSU) reached a $145,000 settlement over claims of discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) on January 4, 2016. In 2014, DOJ initiated a lawsuit against...more
A judge in the Southern District of New York recently granted summary judgment to Vassar College in a case brought by a former student accused of sexual assault. The plaintiff alleged that Vassar violated Title IX and various...more
In recent weeks, several colleges and universities have faced a flurry of high-profile race-based harassment incidents, requiring a thoughtful balance of constitutional and fairness questions while ensuring that students feel...more