The Title IX Office reported a 51 percent increase in reopened complaints in the 2023-24 academic year as new complaints of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence and stalking plateaued, according to the office’s third annual report released last month.
The data shows that there were 408 new reports of sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, pregnancy and related conditions and retaliation in the 2023-24 reporting period, compared to 405 reports received the year before. The report also stated that there was a 51 percent increase from the 2022-23 reporting period in complaints that were reopened after a complainant asked for additional support — which Asha Reynolds, the Title IX Office’s director and coordinator, said shows students are willing to continuously reach out to the office for support.
“That finding shows the long-term impact that Title IX prohibited conduct can have on an individual and the university’s commitment to ensuring that support continues throughout an individual’s time at GW,” Reynolds said in an email.
Of the 408 reports filed in the 2023-24 period, 272 were for sexual harassment, 95 were for sexual assault, 91 were for stalking, 31 were for dating violence and 20 were for domestic violence. Nineteen complaints were requesting support for pregnancy or related conditions and three were for retaliation.
Complaints of stalking and domestic violence in 2023-24 rose the most out of all categories compared to the previous reporting period, with the 2022-23 report recording 68 complaints of stalking and 11 complaints of domestic violence.
“The lack of significant change shows that the GW community continues to be aware of Title IX-related support and resources that are available to individuals impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking,” Reynolds said.
Of the 408 complaints, 89 of the incidents happened in residence halls, 110 took place in nonresidential parts of campus — a rise from last period's 76 — 44 occurred online, 83 were off campus and 82 had unknown locations, a drop from last period's 108. The report also states that 276 complainants were undergraduate students, 78 were graduate students, 26 were staff, three were faculty, 22 were non-GW affiliated and 26 were unknown.
The report states that in April 2024 the Title IX office partnered with the Office of Survey Research to distribute a sexual harassment climate survey to a random sample of 6,000 GW students. Reynolds said the goal of the survey was to collect information on students’ attitudes about sexual harassment on campus and how GW can better respond to these issues.
Reynolds said the office is currently analyzing the results of the survey and would release the results at a "future date."
Like the previous year, most reports in 2023-24 came from designated reporters — GW community members, like faculty and staff, who are required to report suspected or alleged sexual harassment to a Title IX Coordinator — who filed 262 reports, a slight increase from 253 last reporting period.
Complainants filed 113 reports on their own behalf, 19 students made reports on behalf of someone else, seven non-GW affiliates made reports, those reported to be perpetrators made one and six cases were reported anonymously, per the data.
The report states that the Title IX office worked on seven formal resolutions — when the Title IX Office determines a policy violation occurred and considers subsequent disciplinary action — and seven alternative resolutions, when both parties and the University agree on a resolution to formal complaints, compared to three formal resolutions and six alternative resolutions in the previous reporting period.
Of the complainants that didn't opt for a formal or alternative resolution, 126 complainants asked for supportive measures only, 138 chose not to respond to the Title IX Office’s outreach email following the filing of their report and 81 requested no further action. There was no significant change in the breakdown of responses from the Title IX office from the previous reporting period.
The Department of Education released new Title IX guidelines in April, but an injunction applying to 700 schools including GW blocked those regulations from being implemented. The new regulations expand the definition of what qualifies as sexual harassment, simplify the investigation process for Title IX violations and include provisions for discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy status.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in August that schools affected by the injunction can implement certain parts of the 2024 regulations as long as they do not explicitly contradict the 2020 regulations.
Reynolds said because of the injunction, the 2020 Title IX policy still remains in effect at GW, but the office has only implemented certain parts of the 2024 regulations, like updating its website and trainings to expand definitions of “reasonable modifications” for students experiencing pregnancy.
“There are elements of the 2024 regulations that the Title IX Office has put into practice or has implemented since the 2024 regulations were released,” Reynolds said. “For example, the Title IX Office staff have emphasized through training that the University continues to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and pregnancy.”
