What is Title IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act states:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Title IX is a federal civil rights act that prohibits sex discrimination in education. It prohibits sexual harassment (including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence), sex and gender discrimination, pregnant and parenting discrimination, and unequal access to educational programs and/or activities based on gender. Title IX works to protect any person, regardless of sex, gender, perceived sex, perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.
Compliance with Title IX and related College policies is everyone’s responsibility at Evergreen. The Title IX Coordinator provides resources and reporting options to the campus community, and it is all of our responsibility to address and report concerns of misconduct, and work to prevent the occurrence through education and training.
Title IX Regulations of 2020
On August 14, 2020, the Department of Education implemented Title IX Regulations for all institutions. These Regulations prescribed definitions of sexual harassment, created Title IX jurisdiction for campuses, and prescribed a process for institutions to follow. Evergreen created a Title IX Policy and Procedure to comply with these Regulations. For more information on the Title IX Regulations, please see the Department of Education’s Title IX website.
Title IX Jurisdiction
The Title IX Regulations of 2020 state that Title IX complaints must be dismissed under Title IX if:
- The alleged misconduct occurred outside of the United States
- The alleged misconduct did not occur in the context of an Evergreen educational program or activity
- The alleged misconduct does not meet the definition of sexual harassment under the Title IX Policy and Procedure
In the case that a complaint of alleged misconduct does not meet the Title IX jurisdiction, the Title IX Coordinator will refer the complaint to either Student Rights and Responsibilities for alleged violations under the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, or to the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Office for alleged violations under the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedure.
Title IX Coordinator
Institutions of higher education are required to have a Title IX Coordinator to ensure compliance with Title IX and the Regulations. The Title IX Coordinator at Evergreen is responsible for, but not limited to, the following activities:
- Accepting and processing Title IX reports, referrals, and complaints
- Executing and submitting a Title IX Formal complaint if necessary
- Handling requests of confidentiality
- Determining during grievance procedures whether a Title IX complaint should be dismissed, and if so, referring the complaint to the appropriate disciplinary authority for proceedings outside of the Title IX jurisdiction (either the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities or the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedure)
- Maintaining records of all complaints, reports, referrals, and retaining files
- Coordinating investigations
- Engaging in an interactive process with parties and administering Supportive Measures
- Recommending non-disciplinary corrective measures in order to stop, remediate and/or prevent the recurrence of discriminatory conduct to Evergreen administrators
Evergreen's Title IX Policy
Evergreen's Title IX Policy and Procedure has been updated for 2020 to meet the Department of Education’s Title IX Regulations. Read or dowload a PDF copy of the college's Title IX Policy and Procedure on Evergreen's Policies website Title IX page.
Title IX Administrator Trainings
Administrative parties involved in the Title IX process will receive training based on the Title IX Regulations and their specific roles within the process. Title IX Administrators include the Title IX Coordinator, Panel members for the Live Hearing, Investigators, the Senior College Official, Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Officer, and Evergreen provided Procedural Advisors. Administrators are trained continuously on the Title IX process, definition of sexual harassment, serving in an unbiased manner, and other considerations.