Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Law and Higher Education Podcast! In today’s conversation, we speak with Brian van Brunt, who is widely known as an expert in behavioral intervention, threat assessment, mental illness, and more. In other words, he is the OG in behavioral intervention teams, and conducting assessments, trainings, and helping institutions create those teams in order to create a safer and healthier campus environment. He has so much knowledge to impart in this spac...
Feb 17, 2022•57 min•Ep. 44
The investigative process, while crucial, has a limited scope in providing sexual assault survivors with what they need. Today's conversation takes a look into restorative justice and navigating how we can attend to the harmed person and community so that healing is the primary goal. Today's guest is Dr. Kaaren Williamsen, director of the Sexual Assault and Prevention Center at the University of Michigan (SAPAC), who imparts her knowledge, wisdom, and experience in this field. We touch on everyt...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 41
From small firms to large ones, labor and employment issues to college campus law infringements, today’s guest has done it all! We’re so lucky to now have her as part of the ICS team, where she is getting a chance to live out her lifelong dream of working in the education sphere. In today’s episode, Celeste Bradley talks us through Titles VI, VII, and IX, and a few other federal laws which relate to issues that may arise at educational institutions. As an External Title IX Coordinator, Celeste d...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 40
As we enter into a new year and a fresh start for the podcast after some time off, we wanted to use this opportunity to update you on what we have been up to, look back on the Title IX space in the last two years, and illuminate what is to come in the near future. 2020 was a particularly wild year, and 2021 was not that much different. Our field was not immune to the changes and instability we were all experiencing. So on today's episode, expect to hear about updates to the podcast, the service ...
Jan 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 39
In this episode Courtney talks with Dr. Laura McGuire, sexologist, trauma-informed specialist, consent educator, and inclusion consultant. They talk about a controversial topic head-on – trauma-informed practices in Title IX cases – starting with the basics of what being trauma-informed means and ending with whether it is appropriate in campus cases involving sexual misconduct. Laura explains what a sexologist is, why consent is complicated, and the work she has done incorporating restorative ju...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 38
What is next in Title IX? Will the regulations go away? The short answer is no, not immediately, as you heard from previous guests in 2020. It is a long process to undo a regulation, and that will likely take a few years, but we do anticipate movement with respect to guidance issued by the Department of Education in the meantime. As you know, the Trump administration archived all prior guidance in this space, and it is yet to be seen whether all or some of it will be resurrected or replaced with...
Mar 01, 2021•11 min
There is no doubt that politics affects education. With a new administration likely to take office in January, what are the changes we can expect to see in Title IX space under Joe Biden’s presidency? In this episode, Jody Shipper, Title IX consultant and Managing Director at Grand River Solutions, Scott Schneider, litigator and lawyer at Husch Blackwell, and Joe Storch, in-house counsel at SUNY, share their unique perspectives on the implications of the election on Title IX. We kick off with a ...
Dec 07, 2020•50 min
This is the second part of our series with John Graff, taken from his Higher Ground Podcast, where he discusses the U.S. Department of Education’s new Clery Act compliance guidance. In part one we heard about the context for the announcement — the developments leading up to the Department’s drastic reversal of its longstanding guidance. Looking at that context in today's episode, John analyzes the new guidance, discusses what it means, and suggests what schools might expect to see in the Clery c...
Nov 17, 2020•46 min
Today we are doing something a little special and different! This episode is taken from our friends at the Higher Ground Podcast and features John Graff looking at the recent rescinding of the Clery Handbook by the Department of Education and the array of implications of this motion. John goes into loads of detail and gives a great overview of the decision, providing listeners with both forward and backward-facing context on the issue. This episode makes up part one of two on the subject, with p...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 13 min
As a way to stay abreast of the current Title IX climate, we have put together this short, informational episode at a time when schools are practically installing and experiencing the new regulations. This episode takes the form of a brief list of pain points that have been identified since these new policies have been put into practice and new reports of sexual harassment are being received. We talk about the overwhelm that 2020 has caused, from the global pandemic and quarantine to the issues ...
Oct 01, 2020•10 min
Joining us on the podcast today to look at the question of bringing external assistance into a Title IX office is Elizabeth H. Canning. Elizabeth has a decade of experience in Title IX and works as a lawyer and human resources professional. We get to hear about the different roles she has occupied at institutions and what her professional setup looks like currently before we dive into the meat of the conversation. Elizabeth's practice helps both schools and workplaces to meet their compliance ob...
Sep 17, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 32
We welcome Joe Storch from SUNY back to the show today to chat some more about the new regulations in Title IX and get into some thoughts on the power of prevention. We use this episode as an update on the current goings-on in the litigation around the new regulations but also use it as a jumping-off point for a host of other relevant issues in the space right now. It feels like the year 2020 has so much going on, on so many levels, inside and outside of the Title IX world. The current global co...
Jul 30, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 31
In this brief informational episode, Courtney discusses prioritizing compliance obligations for meeting the August 14th deadline imposed by the Department of Education for implementation of the new Title IX regulations, her words of advice regarding using model policies as a jumping-off point, the work that must be done after August 14th, her experience working with and talking to Title IX professionals during this time as colleges and school districts juggle these compliance obligations against...
Jul 23, 2020•11 min•Ep. 30
In this episode, Courtney continues her conversation with Jake Sapp on the legal challenges to the new Title IX regulations. Jake is the Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer for Austin College and holds a JD from Stetson. He is well versed in the Title IX litigation landscape and provides some synthesis of this complex topic as we talk about the selection of lawsuits that are underway at present, the challenges that Jake foresees for institutions and coordinators, and what exactly ...
Jul 02, 2020•37 min•Ep. 29
Joining Courtney to discuss legal challenges to the new Title IX regulations that were issued on May 6th is Jake Sapp! Jake is the Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer for Austin College and holds a JD from Stetson. He is very well versed in the current Title IX landscape as well as the important precedents relevant to the space. Jake has a large amount of experience speaking on the topics of Title IX and its related legal trends, so who better to join Courtney in this in-depth dis...
Jun 25, 2020•48 min•Ep. 28
There’s no question that these are unprecedented times for everyone, including school districts and institutes of higher education. COVID, killer bees, natural disasters, and now the new Title IX regulations issued by the department of education. My guest this week is Melissa Carleton, a partner at Bricker & Eckler. Melissa advises higher education entities in a variety of areas, including student affairs, student conduct, disability accommodation, student confidentiality, policies, contract...
Jun 04, 2020•25 min•Ep. 27
We are living through unprecedented times both nationally and globally. For those in the Title IX profession, these complicated times have been further exacerbated with the release of the new Title IX Regulations by the Department of Education on May 6, 2020. Today on the show Courtney is joined by Joseph Storch, a name well-known to most in the field. Courtney and Joe discuss the new regulations and their impact on institutions and school districts. To say that they have caused a stir would be ...
May 14, 2020•49 min•Ep. 26
Today we’re flipping the script to bring you an interview where your host Courtney Bullard features as a guest on the Higher Ground podcast with John Graff. In this episode, Courtney, John, and Scott Schneider discuss COVID-19, the NPRM and its implications, and more. These two men are respected colleagues in the industry; some might recall Scott being a former guest on the show. Scott is a well-known litigator, as well as a sought-after advisor on Title IX, labor and employment law issues, and ...
Apr 30, 2020•52 min•Ep. 25
During this time of so much change and uncertainty, we are so glad to be able to continue to bring you important information regarding Title IX and the future of institutional practices on campuses and beyond! Our guest today is Megan Farrell, Title IX Coordinator for Palo Alto Unified School District, and advisor and consultant to educational and institutional clients with a focus on Title IX compliance. Title IX Compliance for K-12 is complex and looks different than compliance for higher educ...
Apr 23, 2020•52 min•Ep. 24
The complexity of Title IX issues is only compounded by the different parties that are found on university campuses and the regulations for them. Our guest today is Elizabeth Conklin, the Title IX and ADA Coordinator at the University of Connecticut. She has a large amount of experience in the field, and she is here to share her thoughts on the intersection of students, faculty and staff, the overlap between Title IX and VII, and appropriate ways to approach allegations across these different de...
Apr 02, 2020•49 min•Ep. 23
The country (and the world) is facing an unprecedented crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, and Title IX coordinators face a particular set of challenges during this time. Betsy Smith, a Senior Investigator, and Consultant at Institutional Compliance Solutions joins us today to talk about ways to remain Title IX compliant as campuses move to distance learning. In this short, informational episode, we cover three aspects of Title IX compliance: support measures, ensuring accountability, and how to ...
Mar 19, 2020•22 min•Ep. 22
This episode continues Courtney’s deep dive with Jody Shipper into the complexities that typically arise concerning Title IX, Clery, and VAWA investigations in colleges and universities. Jody is a nationally recognized subject matter expert with more than 20 years’ experience in policies aimed at addressing sexual misconduct on campuses; it has been a privilege to hear her thoughts in this extended conversation. In our discussion today, we continue on the topic of the overlap between Clery and T...
Mar 05, 2020•33 min•Ep. 21
Title IX and Clery procedures are complex and ambiguous for all parties involved, but the importance of maintaining an institutional culture that upholds these laws cannot be overstated. Following Clery legislation should not stop at mere compliance either. In this episode, Courtney talks with Jody Shipper, a nationally recognized subject-matter expert in Title IX and related fields, about her approach in working with universities and colleges in Title IX compliance. They talk about the intersec...
Feb 27, 2020•41 min•Ep. 20
Courtney talks with Doug Fierberg whose legal team at the Fierberg National Law Group focuses on and is dedicated to representing families, survivors and others in lawsuits and other legal proceedings nationwide involving fraternity hazing, sexual assault, Title IX violations, gun violence, serious personal injury, wrongful death and other misconduct in schools. Most notably in recent Title IX litigation, Doug’s team represents Max Gruver’s family in a wrongful death case against LSU using a nov...
Feb 13, 2020•47 min•Ep. 19
In this episode, Courtney continues her conversation with Stephanie Lott, Title IX Coordinator at Arkansas State University. The full discussion with Stephanie covers campus accessibility, pronoun use, and her journey in Title IX with regard to LGTBQI+ and kink culture. In this second part of our discussion, Stephanie gets into some of the challenges investigators, witnesses, complainants, and respondents tend to face in Title IX investigations of cases involving kink or LGTBQI+ communities. For...
Feb 06, 2020•34 min•Ep. 18
Deconstructing our biases around niched behaviors and sexualities has been important for a long time now, and this urgency is no less great in the context of Title IX law and investigations. This is the first of a two-part episode where I talk to Stephanie Lott, Title IX Coordinator at Arkansas State University. Our conversation focusses on understanding kink and LGBTQI+ culture, and how investigators can be better prepared for Title IX cases involving people from these groups. There are many gr...
Jan 30, 2020•32 min•Ep. 17
In this episode, Courtney has a conversation with Betsy Smith, a senior investigator, and consultant at Institutional Compliance Solutions. Betsy brings another unique perspective to their team, having previously served as a district attorney and deputy Title IX coordinator for the University of Tennessee. Betsy shares about tracking trends and data to prevent incidents of sexual misconduct; how her experiences as a student-athlete shape her work today; suggestions on training student-athletes, ...
Jan 16, 2020•40 min•Ep. 16
Tragically, Harrison Kowiak passed away as a freshman in college in a hazing incident. His mother, Lianne, has become an advocate sharing Harrison’s story across the country to hopefully prevent another family from experiencing the same heartbreak. A moving conversation, Lianne shares not only Harrison’s life but the moments when they were with him as a family when he passed away – something no family ever expects to endure. Lianne also breaks down the definition of hazing and provides some sobe...
Nov 28, 2019•50 min
Michelle, ADA expert and director of the Disability Resource Center at UTC, sits down with Courtney to discuss the ADA and ways that accommodations may present themselves in Title IX matters. Michelle shares how she came to be an expert in the field, how she built a robust DRC at her institution, and the ways her office works with the Title IX process on campus. Her approach is so crucial at a time when more and more members of campus communities are presenting on the ASD spectrum. Legal primers...
Nov 14, 2019•52 min
In this first episode, Courtney covers the purpose of The Law and Higher Ed Podcast, what you can expect from each episode, a primer on the law related to Title IX compliance and a little about her own background, including fun facts! Website: www.icslawyer.com Email: chb@icslawyer.com
Oct 31, 2019•27 min
