Carnegie Mellon University

The Office of Title IX Initiatives is transitioning to become the Office for Institutional Equity and Title IX. This change reflects an expansion of office responsibilities to include receipt of reports of discrimination beyond those related to sex discrimination. Please check back for more updates and information to come!

Our contact information and office location will remain the same.

(412) 268-7125; tix@cmu.edu; 4615 Forbes Ave, Suite 330

Federal Government Reaffirms that “Sex” Includes Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation under Title IX

Title IX is a U.S. civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education.  The Office of Title IX Initiatives is responsible for coordinating the University’s effort’s to prevent and effectively respond to sex-based discrimination, including sexual misconduct.

Carnegie Mellon University has long prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity under the University’s Statement of Assurance.

In 2016, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued a joint significant legal guidance [PDF] explaining that Title IX’s prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity.  This guidance was rescinded [PDF] by the Trump Administration in early 2017.  However, individual schools were permitted to continue to define sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity for the purposes of their own anti-discrimination policies, which Carnegie Mellon elected to do.

In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Notice of Interpretation of Law [PDF] declaring that, once again, under Federal law, the term “sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity for the purposes of Title IX.  This interpretation follows the landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that LGBTQ people are protected from employment discrimination under the civil rights law known as “Title VII” (which prohibits discrimination in employment based on identity including sex, race, religion and national origin), as well as President Biden’s January 2021 Executive Order extending the Bostock ruling to other federal laws and regulations.

 

The Office of Title IX Initiatives is dedicated to promoting gender equity at Carnegie Mellon University, which includes coordinating the University's efforts to prevent and effectively respond to all forms of gender discrimination (including gender identity discrimination) and sexual misconduct impacting community members, including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. Learn more about the University's Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy.  

 

Ways to Make a Report

Call Us @ (412) 268-7125
Send Us an Email - TIX@cmu.edu
Fill Out a Report Form (not anonymous)
In person - 4615 Forbes Ave, Floor 3, Suite 330 (formerly GATF Building)
Report Anonymously @ 844-587-0793 or cmu.ethicspoint.com

 

Filing a Formal Complaint

Complete the Formal Complaint form [PDF]. A Formal Complaint is a signed, written or typed document, requesting that the University initiate a formal investigation into the alleged prohibited misconduct.

Learn More about the Title IX Basics

The Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Resource Guide will walk you through how to make a report, how to find us, how to get help if you have been impacted by sexual misconduct or want to help a friend, how the University responds to sexual misconduct and how we can support you. Learn more by downloading the Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Resource Guide [pdf].

 Check out additional University resources and important contacts in the CMU Cares folder - Guide to Helping Students!

Other Options for Reporting

Office for Civil Rights at U.S. Department of Education (OCR): If you believe that the school has violated your Title IX rights, you may file a complaint with the OCR.

National Science Foundation's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI): The office is charged with enforcing Title IX among NSF grantees. To file a complaint, or for more information on Title IX, contact (703) 292-8020,  e-mail programcomplaints@nsf.gov or complete and submit this form.

Dear Members of Carnegie Mellon Community,

On August 12, 2020, Provost Jim Garrett sent out a campus communication regarding the adoption of an Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s Final Rules for Title IX. This new policy will go into effect August 14, 2020.

Leading up to the release of the Final Regulations, the University pulled together senior leadership from the Provost’s Office, TIX, Student Affairs, Human Resources and General Counsel’s Office to create a Title IX Steering Committee (“TIX Steering Committee”) to review and revise the university’s sexual misconduct policies. The TIX Steering Committee worked closely with outside experts throughout the summer to create a policy that reflects and maintains the values of CMU, while also meeting the new legal standards of the Final Regulations.  As always, the University remains committed to combatting sexual misconduct and to examining and refining our practices and policies for the benefit of all members of our campus community.

A full review and comment period of the University's Sexual Misconduct Policy will take place throughout the 2020-21 academic year. This process will involve multiple opportunities for community members to provide verbal and written feedback before a Final Policy is adopted. If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone regarding the new policy, please do not hesitate to contact our Office.

 

Policy and Additional Information

National and State Resources

24/7 National Resources

California Resources

 Sacramento, CA 916.446.2520 

  • Santa Clara – Community Solutions (Community Sexual Assault Crisis Center) 408-842-7138; PO Box 546, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 
  • Los Angeles - 24-HOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS LINE 877-Y-HELPS-U (877-943-5778) 
  • YWCA Greater Los Angeles, 1020 S. Olive Street, 7th Floor, Los Angeles 90015 

Connecticut Resources

Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence East Hartford, CT 860.282.9881 

  • Fairfield - The Rowan Center: A Sexual Assault Resource Agency (203) 348-9346; 1111 Summer Street, Suite 202, Stamford, Connecticut 06901 
  • Hartford - Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence 860-282-9881 ; 96 Pitkin Street, East Hartford, CT 06108 

Florida Resources

Florida Council Against Sexual Violence Tallahassee, FL 850.297.2000 

  • Miami-Dade - Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center 305-585-RAPE (7273) 
  • Broward - 24 Hour Helpline for Sexual Assault Survivors: 954-761-7273 

Illinois Resources

Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) Springfield, IL 217.753.4117 

  • Cook - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago Quetzal Center (888) 293-208; (773) 769-1724; 2525 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago, IL 60659 
  • DuPage - Mutual Ground, Inc. (630) 897-8383; P.O. Box 843, Aurora, IL 60507 

Maryland Resources

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault Silver Spring, MD 301.328.7023 

  • Montgomery - Victim Assistance & Sexual Assault Program (240) 777-1355, (240) 777-4357; 1301 Piccard Drive, Suite 4100, Rockville, MD 20850 
  • Howard - HopeWorks of Howard County (410) 997-0304, (410) 997-2272; 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, MD 21046 

Massachusetts Resources

Jane Doe Inc. / MCASADV Boston, MA 617.248.0922 

  • Middlesex - Voices Against Violence (800) 593-1125, (508) 820-0834; South Middlesex Opportunity Council, 7 Bishop Street, Framingham, MA 01702-8313 

New Jersey Resources

New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault Trenton, NJ 609-631-4450 

  • Bergen – Healing SPACE (201-487-2227) 
  • Middlesex - Middlesex County Center for Empowerment 1-877-665-7273 & 732-321-1189; 29 Oakwood Avenue, Edison, NJ-08837 

New York Resources

New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault Albany, NY 518-482-4222

  • New York - NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault (212) 229-0345; 32 Broadway Suite 1101, New York, NY 10004 

Ohio Resources

Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence Cleveland, OH 888-886-8388 

  • Cuyahoga – Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (216) 619-6194;1228 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44115 
  • Franklin - The OhioHealth Sexual Assault Response Network (SARNCO) (614) 267-7020 

Pennsylvania Resources

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) Enola, PA 717-728-9740  

  • AAllegheny – Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) 412-431-5665; 81 South 19th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 
  • Montgomery – Victim Services Center 610-277-0932; 325 Swede St., 2nd Floor, Norristown, PA 19401

Texas Resources

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Austin, TX 512-474-7190 

  • Harris - The Harris County Precinct 7 Crime Victims Assistance Program (713) 274-3521; 5290 Griggs Road, Houston, TX 77021 

Virginia Resources

Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance Charlottesville, VA 434-979-9002 Richmond, VA, 804-377-0335 

  • Fairfax - Domestic and Sexual Violence Services 703-360-7273,12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035 
  • Loudoun - LAWS Sexual Assault Services 703-777-6552, 703-771-9020

Washington Resources

Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Olympia, WA 360.754.7583