Texas public universities spent 2024 dismantling DEI offices to comply with SB 17, which has meant program closures and layoffs at places like UT Austin. Students and staff describe losing familiar “doors” for mentoring, referrals, and basic-needs help. This year, colleges are required to adhere to 2020 Title IX procedures as a result of a federal court decision in January. This will significantly change how educational institutions handle sexual misconduct cases and provide services to pregnant students.
Why it Matters
On Texas campuses, cutting DEI infrastructure and reverting to older Title IX procedures removes familiar support mechanisms that female college students typically rely on most. In the case of sexual violence specifically, the 2020 Title IX rules put victims in a more difficult situation:
- Mandatory live hearings with cross-examination by an attorney: while proponents argue this protects due process for the accused, critics say it can be re-traumatizing for the survivors.
- Narrower definition of harassment: the 2020 rules require harassing conduct to be "severe, pervasive, AND objectively offensive" to qualify for investigation under Title IX. This is a higher threshold than the "severe OR pervasive" standard in the 2024 regulations. As a result, certain complaints of harassment that do not meet this higher bar may not be investigated as Title IX violations.
Background
Texas’s DEI ban (SB 17) took effect on January 1, 2024. In practice, public universities dismantled or rebranded DEI offices, ended or consolidated related programs, and laid off staff who had handled mentoring, crisis referrals, and basic-needs navigation. Campus reporting from UT Austin and other systems described dozens of positions cut and a rapid wind-down of identity-based centers that many female students used as a first stop after harassment or when they needed help finding resources. Faculty and student groups warned that the changes would reduce clarity about where to go for support and could slow responses when issues arise.
Separately, on January 9, 2025, a federal court vacated the 2024 Title IX rule nationwide, returning colleges to the prior 2020 framework while appeals continue. Under those 2020 rules, higher-education cases generally require live hearings with advisor cross-examination, and the definition of sexual harassment is narrower than what the 2024 rule proposed.
For pregnant and nursing students, the rollback of the 2024 rules will mean fewer and less consistent accommodations. However, some key provisions from the 2024 rule are still considered best practices and may remain in place due to other legal protections like the PUMP Act and ongoing advocacy.
Resources
Department of Education - Regulations Enforced by the Office for Civil Rights
Ballard Spahr - Department of Education Confirms Return to Trump Administration’s 2020 Title IX Rule
Worklife Law - Federal Judge Vacates Title IX Rule: WorkLife Law’s Statement
WRDI Post - Title IX protections roll back
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