Title IX Information

How Does Title IX Protect You?

• Prohibits sex discrimination in education;
• Applies to all students, faculty and staff, regardless of your sex, gender identification or expression, race, national origin, immigration status, citizenship status, religion, creed, age, disability, sexual orientation, romantic orientation, genetic information, economic class, pregnancy status, parental status, veteran or military status, political status, and/or other intersections of individual identity;
• Ensures that Middlebury College is stopping, preventing, and remedying gender discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault in an immediate and equitable manner;
• Ensures all reporting individuals are informed of reporting options, have appropriate access to resources, as well as necessary accommodations in the work or school environment;
• Provides pregnancy protections including academic accommodations;
• Requires breastfeeding/pumping rights as well as accessibility to appropriate accommodations;
• Works to provide equity in academic and campus-related activities.

What is the role of a Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator?

The Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator provides the following support/services:

• Ensures the College is in compliance with all state and federal legislation and mandates;
• Informs individuals of their rights under Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, and VAWA;
• Ensures all Reporting Individuals are informed of reporting options, have appropriate access to resources, as well as necessary accommodations in the work or school environment;
• Ensures all Responding Individuals who choose to participate in a related process are informed of rights, have appropriate access to resources, as well as necessary accommodations in the work or school environment;
• Provides individuals with information to make informed decisions on processes, policies, and options;
• Connects individuals with advocates/advisors to support them throughout any process and in navigating choices;
• Communicates to the community information on resources, rights, responsibilities reporting options, campus policies, as well as state and federal legislations/mandates;
• Oversees the College’s civil rights prevention, education, and response efforts;
• Tracks trends to assess campus safety risks and communicate safety issues to the campus community;
• Ensures that Middlebury is stopping, preventing, and remedying discrimination, harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in a timely and equitable manner;
• Provides pregnancy protections including academic accommodations;
• Upholds and inform individuals of breastfeeding/pumping rights as well as accessibility to appropriate accommodations;
• Develops and maintains sustainable collaborative relationships with campus and community partners who respond to, provide resources/support, provide education and outreach, adjudicate, and work to prevent gender-based violence;
• Works to provide/increase equity in academic and campus-related activities, including but not limited to athletic programs.

The Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator does not make determinations of responsibility. For more information on all the steps, roles/responsibilities, and processes, please review related Middlebury policies.

Title IX Regulation Updates

On May 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Final Rule under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that:

• Defines the meaning of “sexual harassment” (including forms of sex-based violence)
• Addresses how this institution must respond to reports of misconduct falling within that definition of sexual harassment, and
• Mandates a grievance process that this institution must follow to comply with the law in these specific covered cases before issuing a disciplinary sanction against a person accused of sexual harassment.

See 85 Fed. Reg. 30026 (May 19, 2020). Read the full text of the Final Rule and its extensive preamble.

More information on the Final Rule guidelines/information

More information on the Final Rule guidelines/information (large print)

Summary of major provisions of the Department of Education’s Title IX Final Rule