Regents see fireworks before vote on Title IX

Levine: ‘Yes’ signals support for rapists

Following an emotional and contentious discussion, Nevada’s Board of Regents voted 10-3 Friday to change board policy to comply with new federal Title IX sexual misconduct regulations.

Regents Lisa Levine, Donald Mcmichael Sr. and John Moran opposed the motion after hearing arguments that the changes will make it harder for sexual assault victims to obtain justice.

In early May, the U.S. Department of Education issued new Title IX regulations, which go into effect Aug. 14. The federal law prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal aid.

Several lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the regulations, including ones filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and by 18 state attorneys general. Nevada is not a participant in either lawsuit.

Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Thom Reilly told regents that not adopting the new regulations would put NSHE out of compliance with federal Title IX law and could jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding.

Most written public comments submitted for meeting, many of them from students and college and university employees, expressed opposition to the new regulations. A few student leaders also spoke out against the proposed changes, including Dominique Hall, University of Nevada, Reno, student body president.

Hall called the new federal regulations “disgusting” and called on the NSHE board to vote no and join other states in taking legal action.

She said that she’s a sexual assault survivor and that

years’ worth of trauma almost led her to drop out of college. She said she was sharing her story for the first time, speaking up for students who can’t.

Levine, a newcomer to the board, told fellow regents her vote would be a strong “no.” She said regents who vote “yes” stand on the side of rapists and violent criminals.

Regent Jason Geddes was among the regents taking offense at her remarks, responding that no board members stand on the side of assaulters. The NSHE has adopted policies for decades to protect students and employees, he said, adding that he encourages Nevada’s higher education system to join a lawsuit fighting the changes.

But it’s federal law, he said.

“We have no choice but to implement these,” Geddes said.

At one point in the meeting, Levine said she had state Attorney General Aaron Ford on the phone, but the board chairman told Levine she was acting out of turn. Just before the vote, Levine continued to talk and other regents interjected, with one saying “she’s out of order” and another calling for a vote.

Shortly after the board meeting ended, an eight-second video clip began circulating on Twitter showing NSHE Board of Regents’ Chief of Staff Dean Gould interrupting Levine, asking her to mute her line. When she continued speaking, Gould said he didn’t want to “manspeak” but would have to if she continued to “childspeak.”

Gov. Steve Sisolak, who appointed Levine to fill a vacancy on the board beginning in early June, wrote Friday on Twitter: “This kind of patronizing & condescending treatment toward a member of the Board of Regents (or anyone) is completely unacceptable & deserves to be widely condemned. I expect a swift apology to @Lisa_c_ Levine — not that she needs me to request one on her behalf.”

Ford also weighed in on Twitter: “This is utterly ridiculous. Shame on Dean Gould for disrespecting Regent @Lisa_c_levine like this. And interesting to note that the disrespect occurred during a meeting that discussed sex discrimination under Title IX. Sure hope the @NSHE Board of Regents addresses this nonsense.”

Gould said in a Friday night statement that his reaction was in response to a previous board meeting on July

23, when he was attempting to protect the board from a possible open meeting law violation and Levine accused him of “mansplaining.”

“I found this comment to be unprofessional and embarrassing and is not an appropriate way for an employer to speak to an employee,” Gould said in the statement.

During Friday’s meeting, Levine was “disrupting the defined procedural process” while the board chairman was trying to take a roll call vote, Gould said in the statement.

“At that time, I became frustrated at her lack of decorum. In retrospect, I should not have stooped to her level of acrimony.”