Episode 73: ICS Updates and the First 70+ Days

Author: Courtney Bullard
Published: Thu 17 Apr 2025
Episode Link: https://thelawandhighered.libsyn.com/episode-73-ics-updates-and-the-first-70-days

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) 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.