Following US Department of Education regulations that limited Title IX’s scope in May 2020, Washington University’s Title IX and Gender Equity Office, the Rape and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and student groups such as Title Mine have worked to implement a variety of new initiatives addressing the DeVos regulations.

Student Union and Title Mine, a survivor-focused activist group on campus, held a town hall, Feb. 4, with Washington University administrators to discuss new guidelines for student groups regarding Title IX issues in light of the Trump administration’s changes to federal policy.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos formally issued new Title IX regulations for schools handling instances of sexual misconduct Wednesday. The updated rules are intended to go into effect Aug. 14.

The Title IX investigation process is slated to change in accordance with a proposal from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Washington University plans to submit a comment to the Department of Education alongside the other institutions in the Association of American Universities detailing its objections to the proposal.

We continue to press Washington University administrator to take a hard look at their current policies and make changes based on recommendations from the student body.

As has become clear with the confirmation hearing of Betsy DeVos, education will be one of the quiet battlegrounds in this administration. The administration’s views on school choice and public education are deeply problematic for the state of Missouri.