In a letter sent last Friday, a group of Senators, led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos calling on the Department to engage in meaningful consultation with survivors before proposing new Title IX rules that could impact the rights of student survivors of sexual harassment and assault.
Denying Justice to Campus Sexual Assault Survivors Saves Colleges Money
“The Trump administration is sending us back to an ugly time when rape victims suffered in silence in our schools, and perpetrators were able to assault multiple women with impunity.”
Larry Nassar Faces Additional Charges
A grand jury in Texas has charged former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar with six additional counts of sexual assault for attacks that allegedly occurred at the famed Karoyli Ranch, a gymnastics training center for budding Olympians. The Karoyli Ranch near Houston is run by the notoriously abusive gymnastic coaches Martha and Bele Karoyli. County prosecutors have declined to file charges against the couple.
University of North Carolina Found in Violation of Title IX
Last week, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights concluded a five-year investigation, determining that University of North Carolina Chapel Hill was in violation of Title IX. UNC did not admit guilt, but Chancellor Carol Folt listed five actions to improve UNC’s Title IX program.
Sex Segregated Public Education Is Increasing, But It Can Be Stopped
Last month, the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) released “Tracking Deliberate Sex Segregation in K-12 Public Schools,” its third multi-year report based mainly on 2013-14 data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The report found and named 794 public coed U.S. schools that reported having single-sex academic classes and 75 all-girl and 58 all-boy public schools.
Court Upholds Rights of Transgender Student Under Title IX
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Allens ruled in favor of former-high school student Gavin Grimm by refusing to dismiss his case against the Gloucester County School Board over the right of transgender students to use bathrooms that corresponds to their gender identity.
Women’s and Labor Rights Advocates hold Enough is Enough Summit on Sex Harassment
Last week the Enough is Enough Summit and Briefing on Capitol Hill harnessed the momentum of the #MeToo movement to bring together a diverse group of lawyers, activists, and policy makers to think through comprehensive survivor-centered policy solutions to the sexual harassment and violence epidemic in workplaces and schools.
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Winter Olympics Kick Off with 109 Women Athletes Representing Team USA
The Winter Olympics kicked off last week in Pyeongchang, South Korea and women athletes comprise a record 43 percent of the competitors; 45 percent of Team USA’s diverse group of 242 athletes are women.
Education Department Will No Longer Protect Trans Student from Bathroom Discrimination
The Department of Education told BuzzFeed News on Monday that they will no longer investigate or take action to protect transgender students who are denied access to the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The Department has yet to release an official statement.
Congress Passes Bill to Protect Young Athletes from Sexual Abuse
Last week, the House and Senate passed the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act that makes it mandatory for sports organizations to report the sexual abuse of athletes to law enforcement or social services within 24 hours. The bill is now waiting to be signed into law by the President.
DeVos Sued for Discriminating Against Student Survivors of Sexual Assault
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) together with co-counsel Democracy Forward, National Center for Youth Law, and Equal Rights Advocates, filed suit in the Northern District of California to challenge Education Secretary DeVos’ discriminatory 2017 Title IX policy on sexual misconduct in schools.
Congressional Leaders Request Review of Climate Surveys on Campus Sexual Violence
United States Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Susan Davis (D-CA) requested Monday that the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of past and existing campus climate surveys used to collect data on the incidence of sexual violence on college campuses in order to provide recommendations to Congress for developing a standard, nationwide survey.
Feminist Majority Foundation Condemns Department of Education Over New Title IX Guidance
This week the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) and other women’s rights advocates commandeered a hearing held by the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) in order to express grievance over the Department’s rescinding of Title IX guidance documents that served to protect victims of sexual assault on college campuses.
Senators Urge DeVos and Department of Education to Maintain Title IX Guidelines
Twenty-nine U.S. Senators have signed onto an open letter urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education to keep the current Title IX guidelines on campus sexual assault. On September 7, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that she is working to replace the current Title IX guidelines that address campus sexual […]
Deadline Extended to Submit Comments to Department of Education
In June, the Department of Education opened a comment period for the public to provide input on whether the Department of Education should keep, modify, or eliminate rules that protect the civil rights of students of color, women, students with disabilities, pregnant or parenting students, immigrant students, LGBTQ students, and other groups affected by civil […]
Court Rules 16 Year Old Recruit Not Protected Under Title IX
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a 16 year old girl who was sexually assaulted while on a college recruitment overnight does not have grounds to sue the university under Title IX because at the time of her assault she was not a student enrolled at the school.
DeVos Meets with Men’s Rights Activists Trying to Dismantle Title IX
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos met for 90 minutes with survivors of campus sexual assault last week, and then went on to a meeting with men’s rights activists to discuss dismantling Title IX enforcement guidelines that combat campus sexual assault. The men meeting with DeVos claim to be victims of false accusations of campus assault.
Title IX Complaint Filed Over School’s Refusal to Start Girls Football Team
“For girls who are afraid to play football or don’t feel like it’s the type of things that they should do, I think it’s time for us to be trailblazers and take away the stereotype that girls can’t play football,” Sam said.
After 45 Years of Title IX, Advocates Hold Briefing on Law’s Successes and Failures
Last week, Title IX – the 1972 legal provision which prevents sex and gender-based discrimination in education – turned 45 years old. In honor of the anniversary, feminist groups briefed Congress on the victories Title IX has won, as well as the ways in which the law continues to fall short.
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Wisconsin Transgender Student
Last week the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Wisconsin school district violated Ash Whitaker’s civil rights when they prevented the transgender student from using the boys’ bathroom. The court ruled that Whitaker’s civil rights are protected under the sex discrimination ban in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
