Title IX, first instituted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at any educational institution receiving federal funding. This landmark achievement in civil rights legislation has resulted in women’s enrollment in higher education and participation in college-level sports skyrocketing. Today, one of the primary functions of Title IX is to prevent and investigate instances of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses.
Clark University’s Title IX office currently has a staff of one. Britanny Brickman serves as Clark’s Title IX coordinator and is solely responsible for managing the enormous duty of ensuring that Clark adheres to Title IX standards. Many students at Clark are often frustrated with the Title IX office’s lack of prompt communication. This shortfall in communication seems to be due to the office’s lack of adequate staffing. Brickman assumed the position in October of 2023 and had previously worked as the Title IX coordinator for Westfield State University. Before this, Clark’s Title IX office had been run entirely online by an outsourced company operating primarily out of Colorado and California.
Clark’s Title IX office has, for a long time, had a complicated relationship with students. This was further exacerbated when in 2017, then Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos revised the Title IX law and made it much more difficult for victims to seek justice. These revisions constricted the definitions of sexual harassment and assault which discouraged victims from coming forward with their accusations and giving more rights to the accused. According to Clark senior Ellie Zarrow, Clark administration’s response to these changes was “negligent” and did not promote the wellbeing of victims. In addition to the systemic problems with Title IX laws, Clark University has had a high turnover rate in Title IX staff. Without a consistent face of Title IX at Clark, there is a lack of trust between students and the office. Brickman herself recognizes this and wishes to build a trustworthy long-term relationship with the Clark community.
Last April on Denim Day— a day of respect and awareness for victims of sexual assault— Clark students organized a protest against the Title IX office. One of the organizers, senior and Clark University Student Council (CUSC) Vice President Dahlia Mella-Goris expressed that the purpose of the demonstration was to “take space on campus” and ensure that student’s voices were being heard. In particular, students took issue with certain professors who did not issue content warnings before discussing triggering and graphic content related to sexual violence in class.
The process of reporting and issuing a Title IX violation is a grueling and emotional process for victims. It is especially hard for Clark students given our school’s small and tight-knit community. According to Zarrow, Clark’s size creates a “structure of accountability” in which, oftentimes, when someone is accused of sexual misconduct, they will face social consequences from their peers. While having a school that looks out for members of its community is a wonderful thing, there is a downside to having such a small school. Here at Clark, everyone knows everyone, and almost everyone knows someone who has been accused of sexual misconduct. Clark students can often “talk a big game” about supporting victims, until their friend is accused. As a result, victims at Clark are often hesitant to come forward with their stories for fear of backlash from the community.
Many students at Clark feel that the Title IX office is not an emotionally supportive space for victims. However, Brickman stresses that her role as Title IX coordinator is not to be a victim advocate, but a “neutral party” in Title IX proceedings. That being said, Clark does not offer a sexual assault crisis center— a resource which many other schools provide. Without any resources specifically dedicated towards victim advocacy and ensuring victims emotional safety, Clark students feel unsupported and let down by the Title IX office and administration. Brickman says that one of her “long-term” goals is to institute a sexual assault crisis center as well as expand the staff of her office to provide more support for students.
Zarrow and Mella-Goris are both tentatively hopeful for the future of the Title IX office under Brickman. Immense systemic changes to the Title IX law itself are required in order to ensure that victims feel supported and safe in their school community. As for Clark, our community needs to seriously reflect on the way we handle issues of sexual misconduct. The Title IX office needs more funding, more staff, and more resources to help advocate for the rights of victims. Every Clark student deserves to feel safe and supported on the path to seeking justice for sexual harassment and assault.
