Civil Rights and Title IX Office
Knowledge. Accountability. Care.
Xavier University Notice of Non-Discrimination
Xavier University is committed to promoting, maintaining and providing an inclusive and equitable environment reflective of our Jesuit Catholic identity. Xavier University does not discriminate in admission, educational opportunity, employment, programming or events based upon race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, military status, parental status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. At Xavier, we are committed to radical care of the whole person; discrimination and harassment violates this principle and will not be tolerated. Nothing in this statement shall require Xavier University to act in a manner contrary to the beliefs and teachings of our Catholic faith and Jesuit traditions or to diminish its rights as a religious organization.
Applicable Laws
Title VII provides that, "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...." Xavier University does not discriminate, exclude from participation in, or deny benefits of its educational programs, admission policies, activities, or employment policies and opportunities that would be violative of Title VII. Individuals complaining of any type of discrimination or harassment outlined above are encouraged to bring them to the attention of the Director, Civil Rights and Title IX, Gallagher Student Center 340, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-5400, 513-745-3046.
Title IX is the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in all federally funded education programs and activities.The Civil Rights & Title IX Office leads Xavier's efforts to prevent and address sex discrimination, including all forms of Title IX Sexual Harassment and Interpersonal Violence (prohibits sex discrimination not addressed by Title IX definitionally and/or geographically, including harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.)
Our mission is a safe environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors at Xavier.
Title IX Basics:
Prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, harassment or discrimination based on pregnancy and parenting, and retaliation against individuals reporting sex discrimination. Find the full definitions of Xavier's Title IX policies.
Protects students, employees, visitors, and third parties.
Requires Xavier to have a prompt, equitable resolution process in place to address sex discrimination complaints, which includes a reliable, impartial, adequate investigation.
Protects pregnant and parenting students and employees. Examples of an individual's rights under Title IX include:
- A school must excuse absences because of pregnancy or childbirth for as long as student’s doctor deems the absences medically necessary. If the school requires students with other medical conditions to submit a doctor’s note, it may require the same from a pregnant student.
- A school may offer the student alternatives to making up missed work, such as retaking a semester, taking part in an online course credit recovery program, or allowing the student additional time in a program to continue at the same pace and finish at a later date, especially after longer periods of leave. The student should be allowed to choose how to make up the work.
- Universities must allow pregnant students to continue participating in classes and extracurricular activities even though they are pregnant
- Universities must allow pregnant students to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before their medical leave began, which should include giving students the opportunity to make up any work missed while they were out.
- Schools must ensure that the policies and practices of individual teachers do not discriminate against pregnant students. Professors may not refuse to allow students to submit work after a deadline they missed because of pregnancy or childbirth. For example, a teacher may not refuse to allow a student to submit work after a deadline that she missed because of absences due to pregnancy or childbirth. Additionally, if a teacher’s grading is based in part on class attendance or participation, the student should be allowed to earn the credits she missed so that she can be reinstated to the status she had before the leave.
- Any special services provided to students who have temporary medical conditions must also be provided to a pregnant student. For example, if a school provides special services, such as homebound instruction or tutoring, for students who miss school because they have a temporary medical condition, it must do the same for a student who misses school because of pregnancy or childbirth.
- Schools may implement special instructional programs or classes for a pregnant student, but participation must be completely voluntary on the part of the student, and the programs and classes must be comparable to those offered to other students
Xavier Interpersonal Violence Policies Basics
Prohibits sex discrimination not addressed by Title IX definitionally and/or geographically. Find full definitions of Xavier's Interpersonal Violence policies.
No police report needs to be filed for Xavier to investigate and determine whether a violation of its policies has occurred. Xavier must and will respond to sex discrimination complaints under its own policies regardless of whether a student makes a police report and/or whether a criminal investigation is proceeding.
Xavier's policies on sex discrimination can be found in the Xavier Student Handbook (applies when a student is accused of engaging in sex discrimination) and the Harassment Code and Accountability Procedures (HCAP) (applies when an employee is accused of engaging in sex discrimination). These policies describe in detail the investigation and complaint resolution process for sex discrimination complaints at Xavier. Some forms of sex discrimination may also violate Ohio law. Definitions of these crimes as well as how Ohio law defines consent can be found in Student Handbook Section 1.6.5.
Xavier students, employees, visitors, and individuals reporting experiencing sex discrimination by Xavier students and employees have rights under Xavier's sex discrimination policies. A full description of these rights is available in the Student Handbook and the HCAP.
Xavier students, employees, visitors, and individuals reporting experiencing sex discrimination by Xavier students and employees have many reporting and support options, including confidential resources if the individual is not yet sure what they want to do. A Xavier student has the right to report to the Civil Rights & Title IX Office and/or law enforcement (Xavier University Police Department and/or local police department).
Xavier addresses student safety, housing, academic, employment, counseling, immigration and other potential needs regardless of whether the individual engaging in sex discrimination against the student in a Xavier community member and regardless of whether the student files an official report with law enforcement and/or the Civil Rights & Title IX Office. Information on the many interim and supportive measures Xavier may implement students and employees impacted by sex discrimination may be found in the Student Handbook and HCAP.
Xavier encourages all community members to educate themselves on how to recognize sex discrimination and provides campus-wide education to students, faculty and staff on engaging safely and effectively as a bystander.
All questions and concerns regarding Title IX and sex discrimination may be directed to Director, Civil Rights & Title IX: Kate Lawson--(513) 745-3046, lawsonk1@xavier.edu, Gallagher Student Center 340
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights enforces Title IX. Inquiries should be directed to the the Office of Civil Rights, Denver Office, U.S. Department of Education, Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, 303-844-5695, OCR.Denver@ed.gov.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provides that, "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..."
This law provides that, "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...." Xavier University does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in its educational programs, admissions policies, activities, or employment opportunities and policies. Individuals complaining of any type of discrimination or harassment outlined above are encouraged to bring them to the attention of Xavier's Director, Civil Rights and Title IX, Gallagher Student Center 340, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-5400, 513-745-3046.
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, As Amended recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities. Disability discrimination includes not making a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, barring undue hardship. Xavier does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in the context of employment and public accommodations, if any. Inquiries regarding disability discrimination may be directed to Director, Civil Rights and Title IX, Gallagher Student Center 340, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-5400, 513-745-3046, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 131 M Street, NE Washington DC, 20507, 202-663-4900, 1-(800)-669-4000, http://www.eeoc.gov/.
Individuals have the right to file a disability discrimination complaint with:
- Xavier's Civil Rights and Title IX Office, Gallagher Student Center 340, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-5400, 513-745-3046
- U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, 1-800-421-3481, OCR.Denver@ed.gov
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street, NE Washington DC, 20507, 202-663-4900, 1-(800)-669-4000, http://www.eeoc.gov/.
- U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Civil Rights Division, Washington, D.C. 20530, 202-514-2000
- Ohio Civil Rights Commission, 7162 Reading Road, Suite 210, Cincinnati, OH 45237, (513) 351-2541