The following message is from Lynell Cadray, vice provost, equity and inclusion:

Emory University’s commitment to creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for all members of our community is a core principle and value that we will always strive to support.  

One way the university achieves this goal is through enforcement of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, which protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. The U.S. Department of Education recently issued proposed changes to Title IX regulations that may alter how universities respond to sexual misconduct allegations made under Title IX.

The offices of Equity and Inclusion, General Counsel, and Government and Community Affairs are closely monitoring the proposed regulations and, in the coming weeks, will discuss their assessment with key university stakeholders. It is anticipated the evaluation process will be a time-intensive, deliberate review given the complexity of the proposed regulations and their possible ramifications. 

It is expected that the Department of Education will finalize its regulations next year. The staff in the offices of Equity and Inclusion anticipate hosting information sessions across campus to discuss the new regulations and any resulting changes to Emory’s policies related to sexual misconduct.   

Regardless of possible changes to Title IX, our major commitment will not change: Emory will not tolerate sex-based discrimination or sexual misconduct in our community and will continue to work to increase its awareness, prevent its occurrence, and diligently investigate reports. Additional information about Emory University’s Policies on Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment and Sexual Misconduct, which both include information on reporting sex discrimination or sexual misconduct and resources available to the Emory community can be found here.