Kroll Experts Reflect on Title IX's 45th Anniversary

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

With these 37 words, Title IX revolutionized the treatment of women by high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States. The legislation, which is a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972, was enacted by the 92nd U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon. Although Title IX is most commonly associated with equitable opportunities for both men and women’s athletics, it applies to all aspects of education, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other gender-based crimes and forms of discrimination.
Kroll has long provided investigative and consulting services for educational institutions. Recently, in recognition of the growing complexity and need for assistance with these investigations, the company aligned its capabilities and services to form the Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Investigations Practice, which is led by Managing Directors Mark Ehlers, Dan Schorr, and Kenya Faulkner.

In reflecting on Title IX’s influence over the years, Mark explains, “Title IX is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. In the 45 years since it was enacted, it has helped to level the playing field for women in educational settings and provided greater protections to students who are the victims of gender-based crimes at school.”

“At Kroll, we celebrate Title IX for the opportunities it has created in education,” says Dan. “From increased participation in athletics to improved investigations into gender-based violence, this legislation has enabled the country to make great strides toward gender equality in schools.” Dan is a former sex crimes prosecutor who teaches a course on domestic violence and sex crimes at Fordham University.

“The effects of Title IX have been far-reaching,” adds Kenya. “A quick scan of news headlines demonstrates that it still serves an important purpose and offers essential protections to women at academic institutions.” Kenya is a former public defender, prosecutor, state inspector general, and general counsel of a major public university.

Mark, Dan, and Kenya have years of expertise in this area and are often sought by leading media outlets for their insights and perspectives. Recent interviews have appeared in Huffington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Fox News, and Detroit Free Press.