In the wake of the news that the Biden administration released new Title IX rules on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Jill Thompson—Directing Attorney of the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights— released the following statement:
“For the past two years, the Trump administration’s Title IX rules allowed college campuses to turn their backs on survivors of sexual violence. As a result of the Trump rule, we’ve seen schools decline to address vicious sexual harassment on campus, and subject our clients to years-long delays in their Title IX processes with impunity. The Biden rule is an important step in holding schools accountable for campus sexual violence, and ensuring due process for all parties— including survivors.
Fifty years after the passage of Title IX, the promise of the law has not yet been fulfilled. We hope that the Biden rule will move us closer to a legal system that allows all students—including women, pregnant and parenting, and LGBTQ+ students—to access an equal education.”
Public Counsel’s Women and Girls’ Rights project provides free legal advice and representation in Title IX matters to student survivors of sexual harassment/assault, and to student parents experiencing discrimination as a result of pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities.