Iowa Lakes Trustees Discuss Title IX Changes

(Estherville, Iowa) The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees met Tuesday afternoon at the SERT Facility on the Estherville Campus.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Trustees discussed changes in Title IX procedures. These changes will go into effect in August 2020.

“In May, the U.S. Secretary of Education, Betty DeVos announced a major overhaul of the Title IX policies and procedures,” said Kathy Muller, Executive Director of Human Resources.

Title IX is a federal law that, in part, makes it illegal to discriminate against a person on the basis of sex. It is interpreted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to prohibit sexual violence and harassment.

Muller stated, “Educational Institutions will no longer be allowed to use the common single investigator model where the Title IX Coordinator and Investigators write a report and recommend a finding. New rules require colleges to use a quasi-judicial process and hold live hearings, allowing cross-examination of all parties when adjudicating sexual misconduct complaints.”

Iowa Lakes will incorporate additional staffing in the Title IX investigation process to include investigators, advisors for the accuser and defendants, a separate decision-maker, or panel to oversee the hearings. Each role in the investigation process is a requirement of federal law.

Following a Public Hearing for the Cosmetology Facility Renovation Project board approval was granted to Delaine Hiney, Executive Director of Facilities Management, to move forward with the project.

The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 4:30 pm at the SERT Facility, Snap-on Conference Room, located on the Estherville Campus of Iowa Lakes Community College at 2421 7th Ave. South, Estherville, Iowa.

For More Information:

Iowa Lakes Marketing office at 712-362-7947