6 Things to Know About the New Title IX Guidance
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sarah Brown
July 20, 2021
The Education Department on Tuesday issued new guidance for how colleges should investigate sexual misconduct under Title IX, the federal gender-equity law.
The department released a question-and-answer document interpreting the Trump administration’s Title IX regulations, which took effect a year ago. The guidance is a stopgap measure, indicating how federal officials will enforce Title IX while the department goes through the lengthy process of reviewing and revising the regulations.
The Title IX rules, championed by the former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, added protections for students accused of sexual misconduct, like mandatory live hearings with cross-examination. They have been criticized by victim advocates who say they let colleges off the hook for not taking sexual misconduct seriously. President Biden, who led a crusade against campus rape as vice president, said during his presidential campaign that he wanted to overhaul the regulations.
