Title IX is 50 years old! So what does IX cover?

Title IX offers protection against discrimination in education (and its extended activities). But what does that mean in real life? Here are some examples of something covered under Title IX:

Example I:
Employee I, male-identifying, works in a mostly female-identifying department, with a male-identifying supervisor. Employee I notices that, in addition to extra attention, his female coworkers seem to get special treatment from their supervisor: they are permitted to leave early, project deadlines are more lax and they are not disciplined for being late. Employee I is treated differently, and receives a write-up for being only a few minutes late one day. When Employee I tells Employee II, another male-identifying employee his experience, Employee II has noticed the same patterns. Employee I reports this disparate treatment to the Title IX office.

Example II (content warning: sexual assault):
A few students attend an off-campus party and drink alcohol. When they return to the residence halls on campus, Student 1 asks Student 2 if they want to come watch a movie in their room. Student 2 agrees, and the two sit down on Student 1’s couch. Student 1 begins to grope Student 2, even though Student 2 keeps pushing Student 1’s hands away. Things continue, and the next day when Student 2 talks with their roommate, they recognize the severity of what happened. Student 2 then reports the incident to the Title IX office.

If this or other discrimination based on sex happens to you, you can report via the Office of Equity and Compliance website. (More to come on reporting and process next week.)

June Archive