Editor's Note: This article was originally published under the name "John David," the former pseudonym of NAS Communications & Research Associate David Acevedo. To learn more about why David no longer writes under this name, click here.
CounterCurrent: Week of 11/1
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from ... any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” In the nearly fifty years since the law’s passing, however, the definition and enforcement of Title IX has morphed into a form that is unrecognizable.
What began as an equal access law for education is now the primary means by which campus sex monitors adjudicate cases of alleged sexual harrassment and assault. This is often carried out independent of law enforcement and with little regard for the basic tenets of justice, including the right of the accused to know the charges brought against them, the presumption of innocence, the right to cross-examination.
What’s more, the majority of Title IX staff are radical ideologues without a scintilla of legal experience. Slogans like “Believe Women” and “Believe Survivors” are the modus operandi of Title IX offices, at the frequent expense of men who have been falsely accused. Indeed, hundreds of students have sued their colleges and universities after being denied justice in Title IX cases. Many have won. But this will never make up for the heinous malfeasance of their schools, leading to life-long trauma for far too many.
The National Association of Scholars has been tracking this problem for years and released a new report last week documenting our findings: Dear Colleague: The Weaponization of Title IX. The report builds upon NAS’s previous work and was written by NAS Director of Policy Teresa Manning, who spent the better part of a year conducting a deep-dive investigation of the history of Title IX and the inner workings of the sex police machine that rules much of campus life today.
The report “starts with the background of Title IX—why it was enacted and how it was first implemented—and then shares findings from six campus visits and surveys made during the 2019-2020 academic year. It presents conversations with Title IX administrators and staff as well as with students, and it analyzes current university policies and practices to see what Title IX means in operation.”
In the accompanying press release, NAS President Peter W. Wood states
“How many lives have been disrupted and ruined by higher education’s ‘sex monitors’?” asked Peter Wood, President of the NAS. “This report details the abuses of Title IX by campus ideologues and shows the path to reform, ensuring equal access to education for both sexes.”
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ recent Title IX revisions have introduced significant reform to this corrupt system, but there is still much to be done. We trust that this report will be informative for administrators, lawmakers, professors, students, and concerned citizens alike, and we will continue to advocate for true justice on campus.
CounterCurrent is the National Association of Scholars’ weekly newsletter, written by Communications & Research Associate David Acevedo. To subscribe, update your email preferences here.
