What is Title IX?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

The purpose of Title IX is to end discrimination on the basis of sex in education and applies to all programs and activities that receive federal funding. 

Title IX encompasses many forms of sex-based discrimination, including, but not limited to addressing sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment), sexual violence (including sexual assault and domestic/dating/intimate partner violence), and stalking.

Title IX requires institutions of higher education to employ a Title IX Coordinator tasked with ensuring compliance and coordinating the investigative process.  In addition, schools are required to have a published complaint resolution process that explains to a student, employee or third-party how to report an allegation of harassment or discrimination, list campus and community-based support resources for the parties involved in the investigation process, offer interim and protective measures for the parties involved in the investigation process, and explain possible disciplinary procedures.