Title IX

A 1972 federal law that reads, "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." The law is intended to prevent ender based discrimination in educational opportunities.

All educational institutions -- both private and public -- that receive federal funding, meaning almost all colleges and universities, must comply with the law.

Both sexual assault and harassment are covered as "discrimination" under Title IX. The law requires schools to take steps to conduct an investigation into complaints in a timely fashion.