I Can't Worry About My Future When I'm So Worried About a Nation’s Past: A Look Into Title IX

Jade Edwards-Figueroa
Feb 21
3 min read

"No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

These are the words of Title IX, a law drafted by Patsy Mink and Edith Green to combat discrimination in schools following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to the University of New Haven’s website, the Title IX office handles reports and complaints regarding sexual harassment, sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking. The website also outlines the process for filing a Title IX report and the different options available for those who have experienced these situations.

To better understand Title IX policies, it's important to define key terms, such as consent. According to the law, consent is an active, knowing and voluntary exchange of affirmative words and/or actions that indicate a willingness to participate in a particular sexual activity. The law states that individuals capable of providing consent must be above the legal age of consent—16 in Connecticut—not incapacitated in any way and not silent when consent is requested.

Beyond consent, the Title IX office and the university’s website provide additional definitions for various forms of discrimination. According to the university’s Title IX nondiscrimination statement, “The University is committed to preventing or eliminating all forms of gender-based discrimination in its education programs or activities by its commitment to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.”

Andi Rivera, a freshman music and sound recording major, shared their perspective on diversity and resources at the university.

“I think it’s diverse, or they try to be, at least. I've come out to a couple of professors before as trans, and they've never tried to make me feel like I'm not what I am,” Rivera said. They added that professors have provided them with resources and connected them with student organizations after coming out.

Rivera, like many queer students, expressed gratitude for the university’s resources aimed at preventing discrimination. However, they also pointed to a concern about racial diversity.

"Most of the people I know are white, especially in the music department. Most students there are white," Rivera said. While they don’t feel singled out, the lack of Hispanic students they’ve encountered raises concerns about diversity on campus.

The university has several preventative measures in place, including mandated reporters. Mandated reporters are faculty and staff—excluding health providers and counselors—who are required to report misconduct to the Title IX office to help ensure student safety. Reports, whether made by a mandated reporter or a student, are kept confidential.

The Title IX office also offers support services for students who may be unsure if their experiences fall under the law. The university’s website lists several reasons to contact a caseworker, including:

Seeking to understand one’s options after experiencing sex discrimination or sexual misconduct.
Learning of a situation that may warrant a university investigation.
Needing guidance on how to handle a situation that indirectly affects them.
Seeking informal remedies or administrative measures to de-escalate or alleviate a difficult situation.
Having questions about university policies and procedures.

To file a Title IX report on campus, students can contact Title IX Coordinator Barbara J. Lawrence at BLawrence@newhaven.edu or call (203) 932-7269. Reports may also be submitted through the university’s incident report form, which follows the Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Interpersonal Violence and Harassment and the Non-Discrimination Policy. Anonymous reports may be made to on- and off-campus counseling centers.