Make Title IX less traumatic

The new Title IX regulations go into effect in just over a month. I wrote a column earlier this month advocating for a more trauma-informed process, which colleges and universities now have the opportunity to implement. The 2020 Trump regulations imposed a rigid process that required a live hearing with cross-examination. This requirement was predicated on outdated ideas about how best to test a person’s credibility and about the reliability of people alleging sexual abuse. The new regulations make such a hearing optional for colleges and universities.

These institutions should seize this opportunity to make the process more humane and supportive.