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Title IX is perhaps best known for demanding that male and female student athletes be treated equally, but the federal statute, passed in 1972, also offers protections for pregnant or parenting students, transgender students and students who have been victims of sexual or gender-based harassment or violence on their campuses. Many advocates are concerned, however, about the future of those protections under President Trump.
During the Obama administration, the Department of Education issued guidelines telling colleges and universities that failing to respond adequately to sexual harassment or violence could be a violation of Title IX, which protects students from discrimination on the basis of sex. In part, those guidelines require institutions to have a coordinator in charge of investigation into and prevention of sex discrimination and sexual violence, to have a written policy that explains the investigation process, and to provide students who report experiencing harassment or violence with accommodations such as counseling or changes in campus housing or class schedule. Survivors of sexual harassment and violence on campus can file a complaint with the department’s Office for Civil Rights if they feel a university has violated the guidelines.
