Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that was founded in 2013. The initial founders were three mothers of sons who had been wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct at their respective colleges. As more mothers began to seek them out with similar concerns, they decided to form an organization that would bring together families across the country to address what families consistently have referred to as a “nightmare.” Primarily organized and run by women, FACE has built a formidable legal case and established itself as a serious political presence in the US.

FACE became the mechanism through which the founders sought to support students and families affected by unjust campus tribunals based on inequitable Title IX processes. Thousands of students and families have sought support from FACE, and the accused include men, women, and staff members. People of all races, all ethnicities, all sexual orientations, and all gender identities have been targeted.

FACE also became an advocate for Title IX policy and legislative change. Today, FACE has become an essential player in the effort to balance and protect the interests of all parties involved in a campus Title IX dispute. We have met with leaders from the Departments of Education and Justice, in addition to countless state and federal legislators; served as a member of an American Bar Association Title IX Task Force and served as a liaison on an American Law Institute sexual misconduct project; submitted numerous filings to support equitable Title IX regulations; been interviewed on various radio and television programs; and been referenced in various articles and online forums.

Ensuring justice and equitable procedures for both accusers and accused individuals is challenging and fraught with emotional, political, and institutional biases. Even so, it is a challenge FACE has met and will continue to meet head-on until the balance is restored to Title IX processes at every institution nationwide.