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2019 Title IX Alert 1 (2019)

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TITLE IX AL


Proposed Title IX Regulations Raise

Unique Concerns for Rights of Accused


By Gregg Clifton, of Jackson Lewis

    ince the Department of Education's
    announcement of proposed new
regulations coveringTitle IX on November
29, 2018 to clarify and modify existing
regulatory requirements, it have been
inundated with over 100,000 public
comments on the proposed new rules
directing campuses on how they will be
required to handle cases of sexual assault.
Secretary Betsy DeVos opened the public
comment period after unveiling her plan
to replace Obama-era rules and extended
the standard 60 day comment period until
February 15, 2019. The Department of
Education has confirmed that since the
notice and comment period has closed that


it is currently reviewing all ofthe comments
and will publish the final regulations only
after reviewing and considering all public
comments.
   Many of the comments criticized the
proposed new rules, raising concerns about
the new definition of sexual harassment
and the mandate that investigations in-
clude live hearings. Other commentators
who expressed support for the changes
argued that the changes from the Obama-
era rules will now require systems to
maintain fairness for the accused as well
as the alleged victims.
  As colleges and universities review
the Department of Education's proposed
new Title IX regulations revising process
               See PROPOSED or Page 2


Circuit Court Finds Boys Have a Constitutional Right to Try Out

and Participate on Dance Teams


     he 8h U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
     has reversed a trial court and deter-
mined two Minnesota high school students,
who were males, were denied their rights
under the Equal Protection Clause of the
Constitution when their school did not
allow them to try out for the female-only
competitive dance teams.
   The circuit court found, in sum, that the
boys had more than a fair chance of prevail-
ing on the merits of their case, and that the
district court erred in concluding otherwise.
   In 2018, two boys, D.M. and Z.G., sued
the Minnesota State High School League


and several of its officers for declaratory and
injunctive relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
TIhe boys alleged that the league violated their
rights under the Equal Protection Clause
of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution and under Title IX of the Edu-
cation Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§
1681-88. Specifically, they claimed that the
league unlawfully discriminated against them
on the basis of sex through its rule prohibit-
ing boys from participating on high school
competitive dance teams. TIhe district court
denied the boys' motion for a preliminary
injunction, and they appealed, leading to the


instant opinion.
   By way of background, the court noted
that the plaintiffs, who were 1 lt graders, are
passionate about dance and have participated
in various dance classes and programs. Both
want to dance on their schools' competitive
dance teams but, for reasons explained below,
have been prohibited from doing so.
  Appellee Minnesota State High School
League (League) is a non-profit corporation
that is a voluntary association ofhigh schools.
The League exercises authority delegated to
it by the high schools to control high school
                See BOYS HAVE Page 10


Summer 2019

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