Background Brief: Campus Responsibilities forSexual Harassment Prevention and Response

Title IX, the federal civil rights law pertaining to sex discrimination in education, is part of the Educational Amendments of 1972 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Under the administration of President Barack Obama, college and university responsibilities for prevention and response to sexual harassment incidents on campus were clarified, clearly outlining adjudication of sexual harassment incidents as falling within the bounds of Title IX protections and requiring institutions to take action. Our national conversation around campus sexual harassment has evolved greatly since the Obama administration directly addressed the culture of under-reporting on college campuses.