Today, after several delays, the U.S. Department of Education released a final rule that updates the Title IX regulations, the laws that require schools to respond to incidents of sexual harassment in the context of educational programming. This new rule strengthens protections for students against sex-and gender-based discrimination and will make Maryland's schools safer for all students.
In 2020, the previous administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos implemented sweeping changes to Title IX regulations. The changes significantly weakened protections for student sexual assault survivors. Over the past four years, student survivors and their advocates have dealt with these harmful regulations while waiting for the Department of Education to remedy the barriers put in place by the 2020 rule.
The issuance of this new rule strengthens several major provisions from the current regulations. The new regulations:
MCASA thanks all the students, sexual assault survivors, advocates, and educators in Maryland who used their voices to support the development of these new Title IX regulations. This moment provides a renewed opportunity for MCASA, rape crisis centers, and other sexual assault service providers to continue working together with schools, colleges, and universities to keep Maryland students safe from sex discrimination and violence.
MCASA is working hard to analyze the new regulations and how they affect schools' obligations under Maryland and Federal Law. In the meantime, schools should keep in mind: