Policies & Procedures
Title IX
“Title IX” is a federal civil rights law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This law protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The text of Title IX states that:
“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.”
Pursuant to Title IX, educational programs and activities that receive federal funds from the Department of Education must operate in a nondiscriminatory manner. Also, a recipient of federal funds may not retaliate against any person for opposing an unlawful educational practice or policy, or because a person made charges, testified, or participated in any complaint action under Title IX.
On May 6, 2020, the Department of Education issued new regulations under Title IX, which can be found here.
Title IX at Goucher
Goucher’s Title IX program is explained in the college’s Sexual Misconduct Policy and the Title IX procedures (PDF).
Complaints are considered under the Title IX Procedures if one or more of the following incidents occurs on Goucher’s campus, in a building under the college’s control, such as a classroom outside of the college’s main campus, or during one of the college’s education programs or activities within the United States, over which the college exercised substantial control over both the Respondent and the context in which the conduct occurred:
- dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault;
- unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies the individual equal access to an education program or activity, including employment; or
- conduct by an employee conditioning the provision of aid, benefit, or service of the College on the complainant’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct.
If the incident does not fall within those parameters but is conduct prohibited by the Sexual Misconduct Policy, the complaint will be considered under the college’s Non-Title IX Procedures. For more information, please view the Investigation and Resolution Procedures for the Resolution of Reports Alleging Sexual Misconduct Outside the Scope of Title IX (“Non-Title IX Procedures”) (PDF) .
The Title IX Rules of Order and Decorum Policy (PDF) outlines the expectations related to decorum during a Title IX process for Advisors. We expect that all parties show decorum during a Hearing.