2024 Title IX changes on hold pending outcome of federal litigation
From: Office for Equity and Accessibility
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new federal regulations related to Title IX and the law’s prohibition on sex discrimination at educational institutions. These regulations represent changes to the rules that govern the university’s obligation to prohibit discrimination, actions it must take to protect against and remedy discrimination, and how it must address reports and complaints of discrimination, including sex-based harassment and violence.
In May and June, Virginia Tech’s Policy and Practice Committee worked diligently to review and understand the new requirements. The committee, co-chaired by Kelly Oaks, associate vice president for equity and accessibility, and Katie Polidoro, director for Title IX compliance and Title IX coordinator, consists of stakeholder and representatives from across the university, including undergraduate and graduate student leaders. Recommendations made by the committee were approved by the Board of Visitors on June 11.
Since then, federal judges have enjoined the enforcement of the 2024 regulations in many of the states, including the Commonwealth of Virginia. This means that in Virginia, the 2024 regulations will not go into effect pending the outcome of federal lawsuits filed against the U.S. Department of Education. As a result, the approved changes will not go into effect and further recommendations made by Virginia Tech’s Policy and Practice Committee have been paused. The university will continue to address and remedy discrimination and harassment as outlined in University Policy 1025 on Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Assault and University Policy 1026 on Title IX Sexual Harassment and Responsible Employee Reporting.
Virginia Tech continues its commitment to creating a working and learning environment free from discrimination for all of our community members. We will continue to address sexual harassment and violence with seriousness, offering support for those deeply impacted by those experiences and an equitable process for handling reports and complaints.
For more information on how to get support or report sexual harassment and violence, including information about campus and community resources, visit the SAFE at VT website.