AI Summary of the following legal decisions (See files below) regarding Title IX
Based on the provided documents, here are the key impacts on higher education employees in Massachusetts:
- Return to 2020 Title IX Rule:
- Due to the January 9, 2025 court decision that vacated the 2024 Title IX Rule nationwide, institutions must now enforce Title IX under the 2020 Rule provisions
- This affects how sexual harassment is defined, procedural protections, and reporting processes
- Policy Changes:
- Massachusetts Community Colleges will reinstate their 2021 Policy on Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity (PAA)
- This replaces the 2024 PAA to comply with requirements under the 2020 Title IX Final Rule
- Continued State-Level Protections:
- Despite changes to federal rules, Massachusetts state law continues to prohibit discrimination based on:
- Gender identity
- Gender expression
- Sex stereotypes
- Sex characteristics
- Sexual orientation
- Despite changes to federal rules, Massachusetts state law continues to prohibit discrimination based on:
- Investigation Procedures:
- Any open Title IX investigations that were initiated under the 2024 Rule must be reevaluated to ensure consistency with the 2020 Rule requirements
- Institutions must follow the pre-existing regulations outlined in 34 C.F.R. 106
This means employees must adjust their practices to comply with the 2020 Rule while maintaining state-level protections against discrimination, essentially creating a dual system of protections at both the federal and state levels.
Supporting documentation