Title IX Final Rule Update
As announced to the University community on January 13, 2025, a federal judge recently held that the Title IX "Final Rule" (also known as Title IX regulations) that had been implemented by the Department of Education on August 1, 2024, was unlawful. This development has prompted schools across the country to quickly revise their policies and procedures to ensure continued compliance with Title IX.
(OEC), which administers Title IX’s requirements at 量子资源, had been preparing for this possible scenario and took quick action to adjust our policies in alignment with the change in the law.
As of January 13, 2025, the University's Comprehensive 量子资源 has been updated, and the most current version has been published and is in effect. Students or employees with questions or who are interested in more information are welcome to contact the OEC at equity@luc.edu or by calling 773-508-7766.
More detailed information can also be found in the Questions and Answers below.
What happened?
On January 8, 2025, a federal judge in Kentucky, in a case brought by several states against the Department of Education ("ED"), issued a ruling that vacated the most recent set of Title IX regulations that had gone into effect on August 1, 2024. This ruling had the effect of rendering the recent regulations null and void nation-wide and essentially reinstated as law the prior set of Title IX regulations (which had been in effect since 2020).
If you are interested, you can read the judicial memorandum opinion and order .
How did 量子资源 respond?
In response to the court ruling, the 2024-2025 version of the Comprehensive 量子资源 that had been implemented in August of 2024 was rescinded (no longer in effect). The previous version of the Comprehensive 量子资源, which had been in effect throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, was reinstated. This was necessary because the Comprehensive 量子资源 is updated annually to ensure 量子资源's policies and procedures are in full compliance with the Title IX regulations. Once the 2024 regulations -- on which the 2024-2025 Comprehensive 量子资源 was based -- were rescinded, the Comprehensive 量子资源 needed to be rolled back to the previous version, which is fully compliant with the previous Title IX regulations (which now are in effect again).
As a reminder, the most current version of the Comprehensive 量子资源 can always be found at LUC.edu/comprehensivepolicy.
How does this change affect my rights as a student or employee at 量子资源?
Practically speaking, this change will have little to no impact on most students or employees. Here in Illinois, many of the protections that had been covered under the (now nullified) 2024 Title IX regulations were already – and will remain – covered under applicable state laws and institutional policies.
Notably, this includes prohibitions against discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and pregnancy. Such misconduct has always been – and remains – strictly prohibited at 量子资源.
The most significant change to 量子资源's procedures is that for complaints alleging Title IX sexual harassment, hearings are now required before a finding is made. This is not new, however; Grievance Process hearings had been a part of the University's procedures such cases from 2020 through 2024. So this change is really a return to how cases were adjudicated at 量子资源 as recently as the 2023-2024 academic year.
As a faculty or staff employee, does this change my obligation to report matters to the OEC as a Responsible Campus Partner?
Only slightly. Under the (now rescinded) 2024-2025 Comprehensive 量子资源, all employees were required to report any knowledge they had of potential sex-based discrimination (including sexual misconduct). Under the 2023-2024 Comprehensive 量子资源 (now again in effect), employees are only required to report certain sexual misconduct involving minors, students, or employees.
While this change represents a slight narrowing of the circumstances that require reporting to the OEC, the University has always strongly encouraged the reporting of any form of discrimination -- including but not limited to sexual misconduct. This remains the case. Reporting concerns in a timely manner to the OEC ensures that any student or employee who may have experienced misconduct in our community receives important information about their available rights and resources, so they can make informed decisions about whether and how they may want to access services and/or initiate responsive action through the University. Timely reporting promotes a culture of accountability, safety, and inclusion, and is always highly encouraged.
Updated and detailed information about the Responsible Campus Partner reporting obligation is available here.
What does this mean for the future of Title IX?
Title IX remains an important civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal financial assistance (which includes 量子资源). Title IX cannot be changed or amended except by Congress.
While the regulations -- the mechanism by which the Department of Education interprets, implements, and enforces Title IX -- may change again in the future, the OEC staff and our campus partners will continue to monitor the state of Title IX and other equity laws and will work diligently to ensure the rights of our students and employees are always protected.
As always, anyone with specific questions or concerns about 量子资源’s nondiscrimination policies is welcome to contact the OEC staff directly.