Cornell, Title IX, and Understanding Student Impact
By Sassafras Patterdale
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Title IX” mentioned, but what is it actually? “Title IX” is a federal civil rights law that is part of the 1972 Education Amendments. Specifically, Title IX relates to protections from sex-based discrimination within educational settings. This includes athletics, as well as education. Title IX covers all aspects of education in the United States, so long as the educational institution receives any kind of federal funding. This includes K–12 schools, as well as colleges and universities. Title IX focuses on ensuring gender equality for students in schools in all areas of study and extracurriculars. This means that there is equal access to athletic programs, opportunities, and equipment, as well as equal access to all areas of education, including technology. Title IX also protects students from sexual harassment and misconduct and requires that schools investigate any reports of assault, violence, harassment, or other misconduct.
One of the challenges of Title IX is that presidential administrations can shift the functionality of Title IX. Title IX began in the 1970s to ensure equal access for girls and women in sports. The scope of Title IX has expanded over the decades to offer additional educational protections. For example, during President Obama’s terms in office, his administration expanded protections to include sexual assault under Title IX.
LGBTQ+ Students and Title IX
In 2024, the Biden administration explicitly extended sex-discrimination protections under Title IX to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity. This allowed for expanded protection of LGBTQ+ students in K–12 schools, as well as at colleges across the country. This marked a significant and positive step toward protecting LGBTQ+ students of all ages, including those attending colleges and universities. Unfortunately, this year, as part of the current administration’s organized efforts to dismantle protections for LGBTQ+ people, the expansion of Title IX to include sexual orientation and gender identity was dismantled limiting protections for LGBTQ+ people. Title IX now includes only a very narrow definition of sex, based on transphobia and biological essentialism, that excludes transgender people. This is part of a broader narrowing of Title IX protections, including limiting the ways that sexual assault could be addressed during the Trump administration. As we move into the midterm elections and look ahead to the next presidential election, it’s important to remember that Title IX protections are not guaranteed. They are at the mercy of each presidential administration, which can change and enforce these protections through the Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights.
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In the last month, Cornell has been in national and international news following the filing of a lawsuit against the university and seven fraternity members. A woman identified in court proceedings as “Jane Doe” is suing after reporting that she was sexually assaulted. In the court documents, Jane Doe alleges that she was incapacitated at the Chi Phi fraternity house and forced to engage in sexual acts without her consent by members of the fraternity in 2024. The allegations in this case are horrific. The case also includes evidence that a group chat existed in which 57 men in the Chi Phi fraternity were notified of discussions about the alleged assault. None of them reportedly contacted the police or intervened.
The court proceedings allege that the university failed to appropriately handle the assault. Title IX requires colleges and universities to investigate reports of sexual harassment and violence within the scope of their responsibilities, separately from any criminal justice investigation that may also be taking place. As part of the discussion surrounding the Cornell case, many have argued that the punishment didn’t fit the crime or come close to addressing campus safety concerns. Some students were ultimately expelled, but others connected to the incident were required to write essays instead of being removed from the campus environment. The shocking nature of the incident, along with what many people see as the university’s failure to protect students or properly intervene when violence occurs, has raised serious concerns about campus safety and accountability.
The Cornell news has been shocking, upsetting, and triggering to many people, regardless of their connection to the university or even to higher education. There is an open letter signed by 209 members of the Cornell faculty that shares concerns, horror, and outrage about how these issues were handled. The faculty members believe that students’ concerns went unaddressed or were inadequately addressed by the administration, and they are aligning themselves with students rather than with the administration.
The news about this incident and the way it was handled has, sparked renewed attention to student safety, sexual assault in our society, particularly on college campuses, and the need to ensure that survivors are heard and believed when they come forward. If you are feeling triggered or scared about Cornell or anything else happening in the news, please know that you are not alone. Reach out to friends, supportive family, faculty advisors, and counselors for support and to connect with resources on your campus. You can also get support from RAAIN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline 800–656-HOPE.
About the Author
Sassafras Patterdale’s novels and nonfiction books have been honored by organizations ranging from the American Library Association to the Lambda Literary Foundation and the Dog Writers Association of America. Sassafras’ work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. Sassafras has taught queer writing courses and workshops at LitReactor, the NYC Center For Fiction and at colleges, conferences, and LGBTQ youth centers across the country. You can find more of Sassafras’ written works, including an edited collection exploring LGBTQ+ youth homelessness entitled Kicked Out, at www.SassafrasLowrey.com.
