Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs and activities. On May 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education released the final Title IX regulations on sexual harassment. These new regulations amend the current regulations for implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). The effective date of the final regulations is August 14, 2020, and will be used to process any report or complaint of “Title IX Sexual Harassment.”
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics (the Clery Act) is a federal law and accompanying regulations that require colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime, as well as security and safety policies. Compliance with the Clery Act is a condition for universities, like Illinois Institute of Technology, that participate in the federal student aid program, and is administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Office. As a part of its Clery program, Illinois Tech collects and publishes statistical information on crimes occurring on and around campus, as well as relevant crime and safety information, in its annual crime and safety report that can be found here.
The federal Violence Against Women Act amendments and accompanying regulations (VAWA) clarify the duties of universities to investigate and respond to reports of sexual assault, stalking, and dating and domestic violence, and to publish policies and procedures related to the handling of these cases. Under VAWA, universities also must provide training to the campus communities on sexual misconduct. Compliance with VAWA is a condition for universities, like Illinois Institute of Technology, that participate in the federal student aid program, and is administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Office. New VAWA regulations were published by the Department of Education in October 2014 and became effective July 1, 2015.
The Illinois Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act Public Act 099-0426 was signed into law on August 21, 2015. It created a number of requirements on Illinois higher education institutions related to comprehensive policies, reporting procedures, provision of services, prevention and awareness programming, and responses to sexual violence on campus between students. Some of the requirements in this law mirror both the Title IX regulations and the Clery Act.