Please note that the information on this website, including the information below is not intended to represent the beliefs of anybody associated with A Thousand Cuts. This additional information and these additional resources are only intended to supplement the topics covered in A Thousand Cuts. These supplemental materials have been created by third parties to provide further context about the issues addressed in the game. Jennifer Ann's Group, Life Love Publishing, and others working on their behalf are solely responsible for the information and views presented!

Title IX: Background, Evolution, and Highlights

A Thousand Cuts: Early Edition examines Title IX as it generally was followed by many schools in 2018. Because of the way that Title IX has evolved over time, the process in this game is not the same process as that of 2008 or, presumably, of 2028. As we write this in 2021, the current process for schools under Title IX are guided by regulations published by the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education on May 19, 2020 and which went into effect August 14, 2020. Those regulations vary from those in effect in 2018. In the coming years, the DoE will release new regulations, which will change how schools are required to respond. Many of the schools impacted by these constant changes are large organizations. Although some schools adopt new regulations by the required date, others - due to legislative uncertainty and bureaucratic sluggishness are more slow to adapt.

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What this means is that each school's response to every phrase, every stipulation, and every amendment of Title IX regulations is unique. In fact, there are so many variables that no one student's passage through the Title IX system is ever the same as another student's, even if they're at the same school.

Although this game is representational of student experiences it is not intended to be a comprehensive guide reflecting the experiences for all students at all schools.

Title IX: History

Title IX Foundation: The Education Amendments of 1972

What we refer to as "Title IX" is a single section, Title IX, of "the Education Amendments of 1972." (Public Law No. 92-318, 86 Stat. 235) These amendments were intended to regulate education programs or activities. The federal government made these requirements necessary for educational institutions that depend on federal financial assistance, like federal student aid.

Although the Education Amendments of 1972 include provisions for special education, school busing, and student financial aid, we're focusing on its prohibition of sexual discrimination.

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In 1974-75 Title IX was most commonly used to stomp out gender discrimination in school athletics programs. By July 21, 1975, Title IX regulations specified that athletics programs had to provide equal treatment "on the basis of sex" at colleges, high schools, and elementary schools.

On October 29, 2002, following the death of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and a co-author of the Title IX amendment, Title IX is officially renamed the “Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act” in her honor.

The 'Dear Colleague' Letters

In 2011, the Department of Education issued a "Dear Colleague Letter" that rocked the higher education world. According to the letter, all students, not just student athletes, could call on Title IX protections against sexual harassment, including sexual violence. The rationale for this protection is that sexual harassment is sex discrimination. It limits equal treatment "on the basis of sex" to the extent that harassment "creates a hostile environment."

The letter explained that schools needed proactive sexual assault prevention efforts as well as formal reporting processes that students coudl use to get help. Maybe most importantly, the letter said that schools' Title IX investigations should use a 'preponderance of evidence' standard rather than a 'beyond a reasonable doubt' standard.

In 2015, another "Dear Colleague Letter" reminded schools that if they received federal money, had to hire a Title IX coordinator. These coordinators are responsible for telling students (including those who report sexual assault, witnesses, and the accused) about their legal rights. They also make sure that educational institutions are aware of their legal obligations.

In 2016 the Departments of Education and Justice issued guidance regarding protection of transgender students under Title IX. This "Dear Colleague Letter" explained that schools must "help ensure that trangender students enjoy a supportive and nondiscriminatory school environment" (emphasis added).

Title IX: The Pendulum Swings Back(wards)

If you click on the links above for the "Dear Colleague Letters," you will see the following disclaimer:

That is because the Department of Education, under Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, withdrew all three "Dear Colleague Letters" between 2017 and 2020. The letter protecting transgender students was withdrawn first, on February 22, 2017. This came less than one year after that particular "Dear Colleague Letter" came out in the first place.

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Although it is helpful to be able to read prior documents in order to better understand the history of Title IX, the fact that the "Dear Colleague Letters", intended to provide guidance to institutions, were rescinded is a problem for multiple reasons. One, by rescinding this previous guidance, schools become less certain as to how they should perform their jobs regarding the protection of students. Two, it has been argued that these guidelines were rescinded without following the Administrative Procedure Act because there was no notice-and-comment period. If required Administrative provisions were not followed then schools will become less confident about how quickly they should react to future guidance. This then impacts how future guidance from the Department of Education will be perceived generally. Worse, future guidance regarding Title IX's applicability to prevention of future harms and protection of those already harmed might not be acted upon as required.

Unfortunately, while DeVos was Secretary of Education the Department of Education engaged in its own arguably "unconscionable" behavior, undoing many of the protections and processes afforded to students under Title IX. In addition to the rescission of protection for transgender students the DOE also withdrew the 2011 guidance protecting all students.

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And in August 2020 the DOE continued to damage processes and policies designed to provide students with equal access to education, to prevent future inequities, and to provide justice to those who have already been harmed. The August 2020 changes to Title IX Protocols included "significant changes to grievance procedures and requires live hearings in all formal complaints of sexual harassment at Post-Secondary Institutions." The Summary of Major Provisions of the Department of Education's Title IX Final Rule runs nine pages.

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Understanding these changes and their impact is difficult even if one has a strong understanding of due process, IPV (intimate partner violence), and consent. These are complex, intertwined issues and not easy to navigate even for those with the requisite background. The result is that, under the August 2020, "Final Rule" that Title IX was likely to be implemented in different ways from one school to the next based on differing interpretations of these revisions.

Title IX 2021: Clarifying Rules and Correcting Harms

Soon after President Biden's election, his administration reinstated some of the original intentions behind Title IX's support to provide equal treatment "on the basis of sex". On January 20, 2021 President Biden released Executive Order 13988 which states, among other things, that "[a]ll persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation."

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On March 8, 2021 President Biden released Executive Order 14021 which states, among other things, that Title IX is the governing law which guarantees all students "an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including ... sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual violence, and including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity ..."

These latest interpretations of Title IX have been welcomed by those who believe that everybody should be allowed equal access in the pursuit of an education. Further, these changes are important to those who care about violence prevention and victim's rights.

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However, these changes also highlight how uncomfortably fluid these protections are for such fundamental human rights. The right to learn - to live - in an environment free from sexual assault and harassment is a foundational concept that should remain stable. We are hopeful that in the future the abrupt changes to Title IX during the period of 2017-2020 will be seen as aberrations. Schools, students, and those responsible for enforcing Title IX deserve better. Our hope, as a nonprofit organization focused on violence prevention, is that we will see schools focus on the prevention of future violence as they continue to support those who have already been victimized.

Title IX and A Thousand Cuts: Early Edition

In this game, Title IX at Fortuna (the fictional school in the game) is interpreted the way the average college might have interpreted it in 2018. The policies that Rosa and Olivia confront don't necessarily reflect all legislative mandates at that time, but instead reflect how individual schools enforce those mandates.

A Thousand Cuts: Early Edition is not a primer on Title IX as it's interpreted today. Instead, it provides insight into how sexual violence impacts students; how Title IX processes mitigate or exacerbate those impacts; and how campus culture affects all of those involved.

About Consent

Consent is a legal term of art meaning that individual state or country legislative bodies define when perpetrators have broken the law regarding consent. As a result, the definition of consent from a statutory perspective often varies from one jurisdiction to the next. However, the fundamentals of consent remain constant even if the letter of the law is sometimes wildly inconsistent. If you want more specific information, look up the laws for the country and state where you live.

What is Consent?

Consent is permission to do something. In order to get this permission, the person giving that permission must have an understanding of what the something is. That permission only counts if it is given willingly and at the time of that something. These are basic concepts, if we're lucky, we learn as kids. Unfortunately, some of us seem to forget them as we get older.

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These four fundamental elements, taken together, constitute consent. But because consent is a legal term of art, different countries -- and even different states or areas within those countries -- often define consent differently from a legislative prospective. These varying statutory definitions do not change the spirit and true meaning of consent, it just means that it's more difficult to punish some offenders in certain jurisdictions.

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It is incumbent upon those of us who understand and care about consent to help to educate others about consent. Importantly we should also advocate for updated laws in states or countries with laws still on the books that fundamentally misunderstand consent by placing the burden of proof on the victim. As long as these outdated laws remain in place, all of us are harmed.

Elements of Consent

Consent is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship that involves correctly giving and getting permission. However, consent is not limited to dating relationships. It also applies to many other aspects of our lives.

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If you decide to have elective surgery, you will be told about the possible problems from that surgery before consenting to have that surgery performed. You are then in a better position to make an informed decision, an important element of consent.

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Similarly, if you are decide to participate in a test of a new skin lotion, you should be informed about the possible risks before giving your permission to be a test subject. This affords you the opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to participate.

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The more you think about the basic principles of consent, the more you'll realize how often consent affects you. (And you will also realize how often others are not properly getting your consent!)

(1) Informed

For permission to be informed, the person giving that permission understands what that permission entails.

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For example, a person must be above a certain age to legally engage in sexual activity. While they are young, can't fully understand the consequences of sexual activity. If a person is under a jurisdiction's age of consent, it is often referred to as "statutory rape." They are considered, per se, as lacking the ability to make informed decisions regarding sex. That's why sex with a person under the age of consent for that jurisdiction is legally considered rape based on an age-specific statute.

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Although these statutes, like most laws, are not perfect, they do simplify the process of determining if people under a given age are sufficiently informed to make such decisions.

(2) Freely Given

For permission to be freely given, the person must do so without being coerced, intimidated, forced, or threatened.

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For example, an employee is not freely giving permission for their work supervisor to engage in sex with them if they are only doing so out of fear that they would otherwise lose their job. The threat of being fired means that the necessary permission was not freely given.

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This is one reason that many companies forbid supervisors from dating employees who report to them, and it's also why some universities forbid professors from dating their students. The greater the power imbalance, the more difficult it is to know if permission granted by the one with less power is given freely.

(3) Actively Given

For permission to be actively given the person giving it communicates that permission verbally or through action.

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For example, an unconscious person cannot actively consent. Neither can a person who is too drunk, high, or sick to give permission.

(4) Revocable

Permission given by a person is revocable – they can change their mind whenever they choose.

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For example, if you had consensual sex with your high school sweetheart while you were both in school, that does not mean that the consent still exists when you see them at the twenty-year reunion.

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The fact that consent is revocable is why marital rape is illegal in most countries. Although some countries do not have laws protecting spouses from sexual assault, most countries recognize that, because consent is revocable, merely being married is not sufficient to indicate that consent exists. This recognition is relatively recent. In 1975, Nebraska became the first U.S. state to outlaw marital sexual assault, but the last U.S. states to outlaw marital rape, Oklahoma and North Carolina, didn't do so until 1993. Unfortunately, the fact that the victims are married to the perpetrators means that some jurisdictions still treat marital rape differently than non-marital rape. Lawmakers who allow such distinctions do not understand consent.