Federal guidance and regulations related to Title IX, the 1972 federal law prohibiting against discrimination based on sex and gender, have shifted multiple times over the past 10 years with the political tides in Washington. In May of 2020, new regulations were passed requiring significant changes to our Gender Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy. On March 8th 2021, an Executive Order was issued on Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity. And on April 6th, the Department of Education announced a comprehensive review of the new regulations. At the state level, the Governor signed a law An Act relative to sexual violence on higher education campuses which further expands our requirements for preventing sex and gender based discrimination.

This brown bag lunch will break down these changes, how they are currently impacting our policies and practices on campus and discuss potential future changes.