News reports indicate that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is preparing to propose a set of regulations regarding sexual misconduct complaints under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. While the New York Times received a copy of what appears to be the proposed rules, a spokesperson for the Education Department claimed the information was “premature” and “speculative.” Even though this may not be the final draft of the intended regulations, it may provide ...

We recently discussed changes to bond laws in Connecticut, which follow the bail reform trends sweeping across much of the country. A new law signed in California now leads the states in bail reform, as it will effectively eliminate all cash bail as of October 2019. Washington, D.C., currently has a cashless bail system, though no other states have taken this step yet. California’s governor, Jerry Brown, first expressed concern about the state’s cash bail system ...

Students were returning to school at Yale in August when more than 100 drug overdoses occurred in a nearby park, according to news reports. The overdoses stemmed from a batch of K2, a form of synthetic marijuana that many people spray on plant materials and smoke. Authorities later reported the K2 in question was laced with another illegal substance called fubinaca (ADB-FUBINACA). While, fortunately, police reported no overdose deaths, the Yale-New Haven Hospital treated dozens of ...

The recent controversy regarding Ohio State University (OSU)’s head football coach raises many questions regarding mandatory reporting requirements by certain college and university employees under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and under school sexual misconduct policies. Title IX obligates institutions to promptly, thoroughly, and equitably investigate any reports of sex-based discrimination. This is true even without a formal complaint, so the role of so-called “mandatory reporters” is an important one. Colleges should identify ...

When many people think of Title IX complaints, they likely think of accusations against a male college student, coach, or professor for harassing, assaulting, or otherwise discriminating against female students. However, the law protects students of all genders from misconduct by others of all genders. Forms of alleged discrimination can occur between members of the same gender, as well as by a female against a male complainant. A recently publicized Title IX case arose from New ...