By ATIXA, Special for USDR
The Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) released this month two Position Statements: ATIXA Position Statement in Favor of Amnesty Policies and ATIXA Position Statement on Colleges Addressing Sexual Violence:
ATIXA Position Statement in Favor of Amnesty Policies
The purpose of this statement is to make clear the position of the ATIXA Advisory Board in support of formal written policies affording amnesty (immunity) to victim/survivors and witnesses involved in allegations of sexual misconduct. While amnesty is widely practiced on many college campuses already, it needs to be a formally articulated policy, not just common practice. Students may never have the chance to learn about their college’s amnesty policy if the fear of reprisal is enough to keep them from ever reporting to the college. ATIXA maintains its ongoing support of amnesty policies as a means to encourage the reporting of sexual misconduct.
ATIXA Position Statement on Colleges Addressing Sexual Violence
Sexual politics are front-and-center for higher education as the new administration settles in to its role in Washington. Many are questioning whether the administration will make changes to enforcement of Title IX, in sharp contrast to the rapid advancement of enforcement and administrative guidance during the Obama administration. Opponents of Title IX are seizing on this opportunity to champion the idea that colleges should not be in the business of addressing sexual violence cases at all. These opponents see sexual violence solely as a criminal matter best handled by the courts. Thus, unlike previous position statements from ATIXA, this one is provided in a bullet-point format, to proffer simple talking points that allies of Title IX can, and should, use to focus the debate.
About Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA):
Founded in 2011, ATIXA is the nation’s only membership association dedicated solely to compliance with Title IX and the support of our more than 3,000 administrator members who hold Title IX responsibilities in schools and colleges. ATIXA is the leading provider of Title IX training and certification, having certified more than 3,000 Title IX coordinators and more than 8,000 Title IX investigators since 2011. ATIXA releases position statements on matters of import to its members and the field, as authorized by the ATIXA Board of Advisors. For more information, visit http://www.atixa.org/.
SOURCE Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)