Episode 80: Welcome to 2026 - Is Your Compliance House in Order?
The Law & Education
The year 2025 was a reset, not a pause. There are some narratives floating around that 2025 was a slowdown year for civil rights enforcement, but that narrative is wrong. What 2025 actually showed is that enforcement didn’t retreat; it restructured. During this episode, we explore the priorities that defined 2025, the decentralization of civil rights enforcement, and what this meant for compliance over the past year. We also dive into the five enforcement realities that emerged and the implications of each of these for the future. The real compliance question for 2026 isn’t whether you...
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Episode 79: Empowering K–12 Communities: Ending the Year with ICS’s New Student Bystander Training
The Law & Education
This year has been unlike any other in the compliance world. Across every school district and institution that we support, we have seen the same pattern emerge: expectations rising and responsibilities expanding, and the compliance landscape shifting faster than ever before under this new administration. At ICS, we’ve tried to offer some real clarity and practical pathways forward to help you stay ahead over the course of the year. During this episode, we unpack the newly released Title IX Student Bystander Training. The goal of this training is to equip students with real skills and to help...
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Episode 78: Inside OCR: A Conversation with Beth Gellman-Beer
The Law & Education
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a critical part of the US Department of Education, and today on the Law and Education Podcast, we are discussing the ins and outs of the OCR. We are joined by a partner at Evergreen Education Solutions and former regional director at the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Beth Gellman-Beer. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the OCR, what they do, what Beth worked on during her 18 years in the OCR, and more. We delve into how the OCR has changed since Beth’s time there before discussing how resolution agreements have changed over the...
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Episode 77: AI in Title IX: Opportunity, Risk, and the New Reality
The Law & Education
Artificial intelligence is transforming education, and compliance is no exception. In this episode, we discuss how AI is influencing Title IX and Title VI work, from investigations and training to how students search for information about their rights. We begin with a look behind the scenes at ICS, including updates on community partner renewals, new training opportunities, and upcoming Title VI Coordinator courses. From there, we explore three key questions: How is AI changing where students and staff find compliance resources? Can AI tools safely support Coordinators and investigators in...
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Episode 76: Inside Federal Enforcement: Title IX, Title VI and Today's Legal Landscape from Former DOJ Leaders
The Law & Education
The Department of Justice is more active than ever before. At the launch of the new academic school year, we are joined by two formidable legal minds from Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter. Whitney Pellegrino is a seasoned architect of educational civil rights enforcement and strategic counsel for institutions nationwide. Veronica Percia is a dynamic litigator and former DOJ leader behind some of the most impactful Title IX and discrimination settlements in the country. Both of them bring deep experience and a profound dedication to advancing equity and education. Our conversation kicks...
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Episode 75: Navigating Title IX in the Community College Landscape
The Law & Education
Charlotte McLendon is passionate about supporting community colleges in their Title IX compliance efforts. She joins us today to discuss the Title IX work being done at the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). We unpack the work of ACCS, what Charlotte’s role as Student Success Compliance Officer entails, and how her efforts impact each college. Charlotte’s Title IX training began in a four-year institution, and she leans on her experience on both sides of the fence to explain the biggest differences between community colleges and four-year colleges, why some three-year and community...
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Episode 74: Summer Prep for Title IX: Legal Updates & the ICS Worksheet
The Law & Education
It is hard to believe that we’re already zooming into summer! It’s been a wild few months, and this is an informational episode to recap some of what has happened. We start by giving you a peek behind the scenes at ICS, from training planned to a newly launched LinkedIn newsletter. Next, we touch on the May 22nd injunction, the events of May 23rd, and what the newly introduced Civil Rights Fraud Initiative stands to do. Our discussion also explores multiple new executive orders that have emerged recently and delves into Harvard’s fight and defense strategy with the administration and the...
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Episode 73: ICS Updates and the First 70+ Days
The Law & Education
A lot of ground is covered during this informational episode of The Law and Education Podcast to bring listeners up to speed with the changes to Title IX, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and federal funding under the current administration. It is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and our conversation touches on the role of Title IX in relation to this. Next, we discuss the recent announcements from the Department of Education and the process that lawmakers are required to follow in order to make changes to the 2020 Title IX regulations. We unpack how the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)...
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Episode 72: The Initial Days under the Trump Administration: Presidential Directives, Agency Policies, and Legal Challenges with Steven Richard
The Law & Education
Impulsive action is oftentimes the wrong action. This episode is a reminder to remain calm amidst the uncertainty many schools are facing under the new administration. Joining us is Steven Richard, a Trial and Appellate Attorney, admitted in Federal and State Courts in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. His practice areas include business litigation, education law, employment law, and representing management in governmental law. In our conversation with Steven, he shares his insights on how to navigate the ever-changing landscape we find ourselves in today and unpacks some of the...
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Episode 71: New Law! Stop Campus Hazing Act Requirements with Lindsay Hatzis
The Law & Education
In late 2024, the Stop Campus Hazing Act was signed into law, amending the Clery Act – a consumer protection law designed to enhance transparency around campus crime policies and statistics. Beginning in 2025, institutions receiving federal student aid must comply with these new requirements. But what does this really mean for colleges and universities? Who is responsible for compliance, and what are the risks of falling short? Joining us today to answer these questions is Lindsay Hatzis, a Title IX Equity and Clery Specialist at ICS. In this episode, we start with a look at the Clery...
info_outlineA lot of ground is covered during this informational episode of The Law and Education Podcast to bring listeners up to speed with the changes to Title IX, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and federal funding under the current administration. It is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and our conversation touches on the role of Title IX in relation to this. Next, we discuss the recent announcements from the Department of Education and the process that lawmakers are required to follow in order to make changes to the 2020 Title IX regulations. We unpack how the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is enforcing Title IX today, and how the Department of Education’s recent order is affecting our institutions. Also included in this episode is a look at the Dear Colleague Letter and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) investigation. It has been an unprecedented academic year, and ICS aims to keep everyone up to speed as best as possible. Join us for a broad overview of some key points affecting education today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- ICS’s first Title IX Mental Health and School Safety Symposium.
- The training plan that ICS is finishing up for summer going into fall.
- Blueprints for different policies that ICS has made available.
- What was covered in Episode 72: the initial impact of the current administration.
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Title IX.
- Announcements from the Department of Education with respect to special needs funding, student loans, and more.
- The process that must be followed for any changes to be made to the 2020 Title IX regulations.
- How OCR is enforcing Title IX today.
- The Department of Education’s order that K-12 districts certify that they are ending any DEI practices as a condition for receiving federal money.
- The Dear Colleague Letter and investigation into FERPA under California statute related to transgender parent notification.
- What the most recent official freeze entails: 790 million in federal funding at North Western University.
- How ICS is aiming to keep listeners up to speed with the many changes coming from the current administration.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Episode 72
Tuesday Takeaways
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Supporting Title IX Work Through Education and Community
Higher Ed Virtual Certified IX Training