Over the past few weeks, we have been tracking how 2026 enforcement is taking shape under Title IX and Title VI. From targeted athletics investigations and harassment litigation to structural Title VI reviews, shared-ancestry inquiries, and heightened Clery scrutiny, the picture that is emerging is one of expanding oversight across nearly every area of civil […]
Last week, we discussed what Title VI enforcement is shaping up to look like in 2026. This was right on the heels of OCR announcing that it has secured 31 resolution agreements with colleges and universities to terminate institutional partnerships with The Ph.D. Project, a nonprofit that supports doctoral-degree attainment. The ED concluded these partnerships […]
Title VI in 2026 is About Structure, Not Headlines Last week, we examined how Title IX enforcement in 2026 is taking shape through visible athletics investigations and litigation-driven accountability in harassment matters. This week, we turn to the other central axis of civil rights compliance this year: Title VI. If Title IX is drawing headlines, […]
As districts and institutions continue to press on and navigate evolving civil rights expectations, two federal developments are worth paying attention to. Last week, the ED dropped its appeal of a federal court decision that blocked guidance warning schools they could lose federal funding over certain diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. A federal judge had […]
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear two cases this month that could influence how Title IX is applied in practice, particularly in the context of women’s sports. The cases involve state laws from Idaho and West Virginia that limit participation in women’s athletics based on biological sex and raise questions about how Title […]
Earlier this month, the ED announced a Clery Act program review of Brown University following public attention to campus safety concerns. While the specific facts of the review will take time to unfold, the opening of the review itself is what institutions need to pay attention to. Clery program reviews often follow moments of heightened […]
A Year of Unprecedented Scrutiny and What’s Coming Next As 2025 comes to a close, our Tuesday Takeaways have highlighted a pattern: enforcement is accelerating, new actors are shaping the compliance landscape, and Title VI remains central to federal oversight across all sectors. In this year-end edition, we pull together the key lessons from 2025 […]
Higher Ed: ED Opens A Speedy Clery Act Review At UC Berkeley ED announced a new Clery Act program review of the University of California, Berkeley after a recent protest at a Turning Point USA event. Reviews like this are not unusual. ED often opens program reviews after high-profile campus events that raise questions about […]
On October 1, the ED invited nine major universities to join a new Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative linking eligibility for certain federal funds to adherence with an extensive set of policy and accountability standards. When most declined, the ED expanded the invitation to all higher education institutions. […]
On June 23, 2025, the FBI issued its annual update to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) User Manual, which directly affects how schools must align their Title IX and Clery Act compliance practices. This shift affects how schools must align Title IX and Clery Act compliance practices. The most significant change is the removal […]
