Institutions of higher education have been required by the federal government–under Title IX’s ban on discrimination based on sex and thus as part of federal law on sexual harassment–to develop programs to respond to student complaints of sexual misconduct by other students and by members of their academic community generally. Harvard University and Harvard Law School have been active sites of debate and institution-building in response to this mandate. This panel reviewed the progress made so far and the problems encountered on the way, from a range of perspectives. Our panelists were Alexandra Brodsky, a co-founder of Know Your IX, a leading national student group devoted to empowering survivors of sexual assault and to advocating for improved institutional response; John Coates, the John F. Cogan, Jr. Professor of Law and Economics at HLS, who chaired the committee that drew up the law school’s procedures for disciplinary proceedings in sexual harassment cases; Justin Dillon ’02, an attorney who has gained national prominence representing students accused in campus disciplinary processes; and Diane L. Rosenfeld ’95 LL.M. ’96, lecturer on law at HLS and an expert on Title IX and the legal response to sexual violence.
FridayHLS in the World:
