USDOE: Title IX Coordinator Is Required

Posted on behalf of U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a guidance package emphasizing the responsibility of school districts, colleges and universities to designate a Title IX coordinator. The package also contains an overview of the law’s requirements in several key areas, including athletics, single-sex education, sex-based harassment, and discipline.

“A critical responsibility for schools under Title IX is to designate a well-qualified, well-trained Title IX coordinator and to give that coordinator the authority and support necessary to do the job,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights. “We hope that these documents will help schools understand their obligations under Title IX.”

The guidance package includes three documents:

• A Dear Colleague Letter to school districts, colleges, and universities reminding them of their obligation to designate a Title IX coordinator.
• A letter to Title IX coordinators that provides them more information about their important role.
• A Title IX resource guide that includes an overview of Title IX’s requirements in several key areas, including recruitment, admissions and counseling; financial assistance; athletics; sex-based harassment; treatment of pregnant and parenting students; and discipline–all topics that frequently confront schools and their Title IX coordinators.

Since the issuance of Title IX regulations in 1975, school districts, colleges, and universities receiving federal financial assistance from the Department of Education have been required to designate at least one employee to coordinate the recipient’s compliance with Title IX.