Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972

According to the Dear Colleague Letter (April 2011) and SGD (April 2014) distributed by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, our obligations under Title IX as they pertain to sexual harassment and sexual violence on campus are:

• Designate a Title IX coordinator. (Fred Bucher fbucher@piedmont.edu 706-776-0102)
• Take immediate, appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred once we know or reasonably should know about possible sexual harassment/sexual violence.
• Take prompt, effective steps to end the sexual harassment/sexual violence, prevent its recurrence and address its effects, whether or not the sexual violence is the subject of a criminal investigation.
• Protect the complainant, including taking interim steps prior to the final outcome of the investigation.
• Publish a notice of non-discrimination and provide a grievance procedure for students to file complaints of sex discrimination, including complaints of sexual violence. These procedures must include equal opportunity for both parties to present witnesses and other evidence and the same appeal rights.
• Use the preponderance of evidence standard (i.e., it's more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred) to resolve complaints of sex discrimination.
• Notify both parties of the outcome of a complaint.