Know Your IX: ‘I’m angry, I’m disappointed’

October 6, 2021

This morning was not what I expected. Our team had a meeting scheduled at the Department of Education with Acting Assistant Secretary Suzanne Goldberg and Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten. We were coming with more than 55,000 signatures on a petition demanding the Department of Education take action to protect survivors. I’m not naive. I knew they were resistant. But we came to the table hopeful that we could meet a compromise.

Instead, the Biden Administration outright refused to respond to our reasonable demands and turned their backs on student survivors.

Currently, the Biden Administration plans to wait until May 2022 to propose a new Trump-DeVos Title IX rule to help survivors. But that’s way too late. If they follow the same timeline as the last Administration, we wouldn’t get a new more effective Title IX rule until February 2024. We told them student survivors cannot wait any longer for the department to restore our civil rights. They must act now.

And what was their response? They asked us for ideas on how to prevent sexual assault on campuses. Yes, really. As if we hadn’t just presented our ideas in the form of a petition with more than 55,000 supporters! How do you prevent sexual assault?? A new Title IX rule issued this year, not May 2022, that’s how!

Then we took a deep breath, and decided to share some stories of students who survived sexual assault. It was heart-wrenching and difficult. But we ended by again reiterating what would have helped these students –– a Title IX rule that supports the rights and safety of all.

But the Department, again, shirked off our demands. I’m sick and tired of people in power asking survivors to share their trauma only to ignore their demands and turn their back on them.

I’m angry, I’m disappointed, but I’m ready to keep fighting. We organized a national movement that pushed the Obama administration to take survivors’ safety and access to education seriously––and we will do it again. But we need your help––here’s how:

1. If you’re a student or recent alumni, sign up here to join a national coalition of students demanding #EDActNow. Today was just the first step, but we’re not done yet.
2. If you’re not a current student or recent alumni, donate to ensure we can expand our national movement to organize for the rights of survivors. No amount is too small!
3. Add your voice to this fight and check out the #EDActNow digital engagement toolkit for ways you can spread the word online or in your own community.

This is just the first week of October, there is still time for the Department of Education to come to their senses and meet some of our demands. But from what we’ve seen today, it’s going to take a lot of pressure to get them there.

In Solidarity,

Sage Carson

Manager, Know Your IX

Source: Know Your IX group message titled, “We met with the Dept. of Education, they turned their backs on us.”