Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, and Rep. Dean Dohrman, R-LaMonte, have filed bills in their respective chambers of the Missouri General Assembly to require the use of due process in higher education administrative procedures under Title IX.
“This is a really important issue right now,” Romine said. “I’m a great supporter of education and the institutional value to Title IX. In this spirit, I have invited institutions to be part of this conversation to fix this problem. False accusations cause Title IX to lose value. Without due process, the law loses its purpose. Our bill restores the seriousness of Title IX protections.”
“Due process is vital in both civil and criminal proceedings and Title IX proceedings are no different,” said Rep. Dohrman. “I have filed this bill to restore credibility to Title IX and protect all students by making sure both the accuser and the accused are in a just proceeding. Like my Senate colleague, I welcome all parties to the table to discuss the state of Title IX and how it can better serve all students.”
Both lawmakers have asked their bills to be referred to their chamber’s respective committees to be heard by their colleagues and ultimately sent to the floor for a vote, while also reaching out to stakeholders in higher education to be part of the conversation.
“This bill is about protecting the rights of all involved,” Romine said. “If you’re harassed, we want you to have a path to justice. If you are accused, we want the process to be impartial. It is the only way to protect the reputations of both parties.
The bills are House Bill 573 and Senate Bill 259.
For more information on Sen. Romine and his legislation, please visit www.senate.mo.gov/romine.
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