On April 5, 2021, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced plans to hold a public hearing on how schools should handle sexual misconduct cases. This is the first step in a planned overhaul of the Trump-era Title IX regulations.

In a letter released by OCR, this hearing will be a chance for students, parents, school officials, and advocates to provide input before the Biden administration offers its proposal for Title IX changes for K-12 schools and colleges. The timeline for the hearing has not been announced, but the administration will share more details in the coming weeks. We are aware the hearing will occur over multiple days and will include a virtual component.
Once the hearing has been completed, OCR will begin its process to rewrite the Title IX rules. This process will also include another round for public comments. OCR also announced it will issue guidance in the form of a Q&A in the coming weeks to advise schools on how to adhere to the current Title IX rules.

Federal rulemaking can be a lengthy process, sometimes taking over a year to complete. We will be watching for all future changes. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of our attorneys at (214) 544-0406