Title IX

Whether you represent a Christian ministry, school, or college, this information is designed to help you navigate Title IX and how it applies to your organization. While Title IX regulations have been in place for nearly 50 years, the rules have been recently updated. Click through the tabs on your left for highlights of some changes and how your organization can respond.      

History and Purpose

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities. Sex discrimination can include sexual harassment and sexual violence. The law applies to schools that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education, including elementary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities. School operations that are covered by Title IX include, but are not limited to,¹ recruitment, admissions, counseling, financial aid, athletics, employment, and many other areas.

There are many types of sex discrimination covered under Title IX. Some examples include sexual harassment, failure to provide equal athletic opportunity, sex-based discrimination in a school’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, and discrimination based on pregnancy.² There are many more types of discrimination covered under Title IX. Visit the website for the U.S. Department of Education for a full list.

While Title IX regulations have been in place for nearly 50 years, significant review of the former regulation led to the rules being updated in 2020, giving schools more responsibility for ensuring due process and equal treatment of all students involved in a Title IX complaint.³ Some of the updated rules include providing supportive measures for parties involved in a complaint, clarifying how schools must respond to incidents of sexual harassment, and expanding due process in handling the grievance process.⁴

References
1. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Title IX Resource Guide, April, 2015.
2. U.S. Department of Education, Sex Discrimination: Overview of the Law, September, 2021.
3. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Title IX Amendments, accessed December 10, 2019.
4. Summary of Major Provisions of the Department of Education’s Title IX Final Rule. Accessed May 8, 2020.