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Abstract: 

In 2018, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President Trump, Betsy DeVos, proposed changes to Title IX, the federal law targeting sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination in higher education. This article discusses the rationales for those modifications and the implications for students and faculty at colleges and universities. DeVos’s changes revolved around the standard of proof used in investigations, safeguards to be used during the investigatory process, the use of mediation, how sexual assault and harassment are defined, and the degree of liability faced by institutions that fail to act. Also explored are the reactions of concerned stakeholders and the general public to these changes in the Title IX law.

Keywords: Title IX enforcement; U.S. Dept. of Education Proposed Rule 2018; standards of proof; sexual harassment and sexual assault definitions; institution liability

Affiliations:  1: Virginia Commonwealth University.