The Law & Education

In the last episode of 2023, we share a few ICS developments and updates, followed by some legal developments and updates in the Title IX world. Tuning in, you'll hear key takeaways from the recent ICS retreat, reflections from changes that occurred in 2023, and updates to expect as we look ahead to the new year. Learn what to expect as we offer an overview of training and regulatory action in the...

It's October 2023 and the long-awaited Title IX regulations remain a topic of anticipation and speculation. Back in May of 2023, the Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights projected that we'd see these new regulations this month. However, it seems highly unlikely that this timeline will be upheld. So where are we now? And when can we expect to see new Title IX regulations released? In...

Betsy Smith, Director of Title IX Services at ICS, takes the role as host this episode and interviews Jared Smith -   former K12 administrator, ICS Client Relationship Specialist and her husband. Tuning in, you'll hear about Jared's experience in education leading up to his current role, and how he brings everything he learned there to his work. From his early perceptions of what Title IX encompas...

Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution and can be quite a tricky topic in faith-based schools. Today's episode shares a recent webinar on this topic. In this webinar Brittany Gates, Title IX and Equity Specialist at ICS, shares her experience as a Title IX Coordinator at a faith-based school, exactly what Title IX is, how to claim a religious exemption under Tit...

As you are probably aware, the Department of Education has decided to delay the release of the amended Title IX regulations, originally planned for May, to October 2023. In this episode, we highlight some important things we need to be aware of in light of this news. We discuss the implications of this postponement; particularly as it aligns with the start of a new academic year and the urgency fo...

We are still under the 2020 Title IX regulations, so it's essential to get in compliance with them! During today's conversation, your host, Courtney Bullard, unpacks the topic of emergency removals and administrative leave, and the surrounding procedures and regulations. Tune in to hear what coordinators are permitted to do, how to distinguish between disciplinary and supportive measures, and why...

Today's topic gets really interesting when it impacts Title IX. Joining us today to explain the CHIPS Act of 2022 and how it might impact you are Joe Storch and Andrea Stagg with Grand River Solutions. During today's discussion, our guests distill the role and implications of the Act, and what it means for compliance. We touch on institutional reporting, and the three big agencies promulgating the...

Today on The Law and Education Podcast, we sit down with the Director of Title IX Services at ICS, Betsy Smith to talk about why visibility for the Title IX Coordinator is so essential. Betsy brings a unique skill set to the ICS team, having served as an assistant district attorney and student affairs professional. Recently, she worked for five years as the Director of Student Conduct and Deputy T...

Before starting a new year, it's always good to "measure backward" and reflect on the accomplishments, challenges, and growth of the past year. Today's episode is something a bit different as we peel back the curtain and show you what goes on behind the scenes at ICS! In this episode, Courtney Bullard reflects on some of the accomplishments of ICS in 2022 before shedding light on what you can expe...

Has Title IX compliance got you stressed? Are you confused about the new proposed regulations? Well, this episode is for you! It is hard to believe that July is almost over and with it comes a new set of proposed Title IX regulations. The academic year is in full swing, which means new students and employees, making it essential for institutions and school districts to ensure Title IX compliance....

Welcome back to the Law and Education Podcast! Today's episode is an informational conversation on the topic of religious exemptions. Over 60% of our clients and community partners are faith-based institutions, so we have been fielding an increasingly high number of questions in the changing landscape. Tune in to learn how to prove that your school or institution qualifies for a religious exemptio...

In today ' s episode, Courtney talks Title IX litigation with Steven Richard, a highly experienced trial and appellate lawyer who handles commercial, higher education, privacy, and employment cases on federal and state court levels. We find out about Steven ' s educational and professional background, a pivotal moment for Title IX case law with a recent Supreme Court decision in Cummings , conside...

Navigating the Title IX process as a school or institution can be incredibly challenging, especially when there is a simultaneous, or parallel criminal process taking place. Here to help us unpack this challenging topic is Betsy Smith, a Senior Investigator and Consultant at Institutional Compliance Solutions (ICS) and K12 Team Lead. Betsy's experience as a former prosecutor puts her in a unique p...

Given that we're celebrating Women's History Month and International Women's Day this week, today's installment is something a little different from our typical episode format. Today, we're celebrating the incredible team here at ICS who make the work we do, possible! Plus you'll hear some information about the history of International Women's Day, a day that is also underscored by the celebration...

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Law and Higher Education Podcast! In today's conversation, we speak with Brian van Brunt, who is widely known as an expert in behavioral intervention, threat assessment, mental illness, and more. In other words, he is the OG in behavioral intervention teams, and conducting assessments, trainings, and helping institutions create those teams in order...

The investigative process, while crucial, has a limited scope in providing sexual assault survivors with what they need. Today's conversation takes a look into restorative justice and navigating how we can attend to the harmed person and community so that healing is the primary goal. Today's guest is Dr. Kaaren Williamsen, director of the Sexual Assault and Prevention Center at the University of M...

From small firms to large ones, labor and employment issues to college campus law infringements, today's guest has done it all! We're so lucky to now have her as part of the ICS team, where she is getting a chance to live out her lifelong dream of working in the education sphere. In today's episode, Celeste Bradley talks us through Titles VI, VII, and IX, and a few other federal laws which relate...

As we enter into a new year and a fresh start for the podcast after some time off, we wanted to use this opportunity to update you on what we have been up to, look back on the Title IX space in the last two years, and illuminate what is to come in the near future. 2020 was a particularly wild year, and 2021 was not that much different. Our field was not immune to the changes and instability we wer...

In this episode Courtney talks with Dr. Laura McGuire, sexologist, trauma-informed specialist, consent educator, and inclusion consultant.  They talk about a controversial topic head-on – trauma-informed practices in Title IX cases – starting with the basics of what being trauma-informed means and ending with whether it is appropriate in campus cases involving sexual misconduct.  Laura explains wh...

What is next in Title IX? Will the regulations go away? The short answer is no, not immediately, as you heard from previous guests in 2020. It is a long process to undo a regulation, and that will likely take a few years, but we do anticipate movement with respect to guidance issued by the Department of Education in the meantime. As you know, the Trump administration archived all prior guidance in...

There is no doubt that politics affects education. With a new administration likely to take office in January, what are the changes we can expect to see in Title IX space under Joe Biden's presidency? In this episode, Jody Shipper, Title IX consultant and Managing Director at Grand River Solutions, Scott Schneider, litigator and lawyer at Husch Blackwell, and Joe Storch, in-house counsel at SUNY,...

This is the second part of our series with John Graff, taken from his Higher Ground Podcast, where he discusses the U.S. Department of Education's new Clery Act compliance guidance. In part one we heard about the context for the announcement — the developments leading up to the Department's drastic reversal of its longstanding guidance. Looking at that context in today's episode, John analyzes the...

Today we are doing something a little special and different! This episode is taken from our friends at the Higher Ground Podcast and features John Graff looking at the recent rescinding of the Clery Handbook by the Department of Education and the array of implications of this motion. John goes into loads of detail and gives a great overview of the decision, providing listeners with both forward an...

As a way to stay abreast of the current Title IX climate, we have put together this short, informational episode at a time when schools are practically installing and experiencing the new regulations. This episode takes the form of a brief list of pain points that have been identified since these new policies have been put into practice and new reports of sexual harassment are being received. We t...

Joining us on the podcast today to look at the question of bringing external assistance into a Title IX office is Elizabeth H. Canning. Elizabeth has a decade of experience in Title IX and works as a lawyer and human resources professional. We get to hear about the different roles she has occupied at institutions and what her professional setup looks like currently before we dive into the meat of...