The deadline to submit comments on the proposed Title IX changes has been pushed back to January 30, 2019. In order to do a last push for public comments on this important issue, please review the information below on the proposed changes to Title IX and use the sample tweets to get others to submit comments during our ACESDV Tweetstorm January 28 at noon!
These proposed Title IX changes hurt survivors:
- By limiting the definition of sexual harassment to the point where survivors experiences will be discounted unless they experience endure severe, repeated, or escalating harassment which denies students their schooling and impacts their futures. This means that, under the proposed new definition, schools will be held to a lesser standard in addressing the harassment of students-including minors-under its care than addressing harassment of adult employees.
- Sexual harassment and assault is already widely under-reported. By limiting who can receive a report, students are forced to seek out an authority figure they may never have met and may not be easily accessible. This forces the survivor to discuss the worst experience of their lives to a stranger instead of a school employee with which there may be previous rapport. This is likely to further decrease the amount of reports creating an unsafe overall environment.
- By increasing the burden of proof through setting a higher standard than preponderance of the evidence, the proposed changes tilts proceedings to unfairly benefit respondents, making it even more difficult for those reporting abuse to attain safety.
- By allowing third party cross examinations that creates gross inequities if one party can afford a lawyer and the other cannot.
- By ignoring assault and harassment that happens off campus by students, survivors will have less options and support to deal with the experience caused by a fellow student. This is especially true since 87% of students live off campus. 41% of college sexual assaults involve off-campus parties. Only 8% of rapes occur on school property (NWLC, 2018)
You can leave your comment at www.handsoffix.org. or here. Please make sure it is personalized. Need additional information? Visit www.handsoffix.org!
Please join us for our tweetstorm to encourage others to comment on these proposed changes. You can use these sample tweets as a guide:
The administration wants to limit reporting. Tell them no! Survivor’s voices need to be heard #handsoffix #ProtectTitleIX
The proposed TitleIX changes will make schools less responsive to sexual harassment of students then their employees. Stop these changes. #ProtectTitleIX acesdv.org.
Send a message to the administration that the proposed changes to TitleIX make things worse not better for those experiencing campus sexual assault #ProtectTitleIX #HandsoffIX
Campus sexual assault survivors already do not feel safe reporting. The administration wants to make that worse. Stop them #ProtectTitleIX Learn how: HandsOffIX.org
Tell this administration that you #BelieveSurvivors. Submit a comment on the proposed changed to #ProtectTitleIX. Learn more at HandsOffIX.org
Tell the administration it’s time to stop investing on backwards false solutions like their proposed changes to TitleIX. #ProtectTitleIX. Learn more acesdv.org/civicengagenment.
The administration wants to bring the bad days of “boys will be boys” back to campuses with proposed rules changes on Title IX. #ProtectTitleIX by telling them no Learn more acesdv.org/civicengagenment.
With only a couple of days left it is important to make your voice heard by submitting a comment on her proposed Title IX rule. #ProtectTitleIX Learn how: HandsOffIX.org