During a mandatory Title IX training, Harvard University students were told that they must use a person's preferred pronouns, or they could be subject to the university's sexual misconduct and harassment policies. The training included the use of a “Power and Control Wheel,” which sought to help students stop all types of prejudices and discrimination, including racism, white supremacy, fatphobia, transphobia, identity abuse, and sizeism. The Wheel also explains that using the wrong pronouns is essentially abuse and endeavors to limit a person's sense of identity.

The hope behind this training and the Power and Control Wheel was to encourage students to understand that they have a role in creating a community that promotes gender equity and inclusion. But what is likely to happen is that students will be unnecessarily punished for accidentally using the incorrect pronouns for an individual before being told what the correct pronouns are.

Title IX Expansions Nationwide

As the world changes, many colleges are pushing for a similar expansion of the Title IX regulation. For instance, at Southern Utah University, a theater professor was disciplined for not using “they/them” pronouns for one student, and at Boston University, the Title IX training suggested that students should intervene when a woman is being encouraged to have children.

When students are suspected of violating Title IX, they are subject to a string of questioning and investigations. If the university decides there is merit to the complaint, they will refer the accused student to a disciplinary meeting. During this meeting, the student will have a chance to defend themselves, but if they are unsuccessful, the school can punish them. The punishment is meant to fit the crime, and while it does change from school to school, punishments tend to include anything from written reprimands to suspension or expulsion from the school.

If you are caught not using someone's correct pronouns, you could be punished severely, even if it was accidental.

How an Attorney-Advisor Can Help

The Title IX regulation was created to encourage universities and colleges who receive federal funding to investigate and punish instances of gender-based discrimination. As such, schools are keen to protect their federal funding, and their reputation.

If you or someone you love is being brought before the Title IX disciplinary committee at your school for using the wrong pronouns for another individual, an attorney-advisor can help. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team have spent years helping students accused of Title IX violations across the United States. They will work tirelessly to ensure you have the best possible defense to this seemingly frivolous extension of the Title IX regulation. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.