The Importance of Expressing Your Opinion Through Voting

Your opinion can be expressed anonymously by exercising your right to vote in all elections. By voting, you can support candidates and initiatives to bring about positive change and address issues like inequitable Title IX procedures that can devastate you, your family, and community members. It can be easy to find reasons not to vote, i.e., "too busy," "don't like any of the candidates," or "don't think it will make a difference." Still, with a little effort, your vote can have a significant impact through the power of collective action in bringing about such positive change.

Candidates and Positions

Knowledge about each candidate's position on due process and Title IX issues is essential to vote effectively. Below are various methods to help you determine who your federal, state, and local representatives are, their contact information, and positions or voting behavior.

• Find the contact information for your elected officials. https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

• Fifty senators and the vice president voted to confirm Mrs. Lhamon to the Office for Civil Rights. https://titleixforall.com/catherine-lhamon-and-how-we-got-here/ and Roll Call Vote 117th Congress - 1 st Session

• The following 19 senators signed their names to a letter addressed to the Department of Education to pressure them into removing our civil liberty, the presumption of innocence, from Title IX campus tribunals: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Patty Murray, Jeffrey Merkley, Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth, Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Robert Casey, Tina Smith, Alex Padilla, Mazie Hirono, Tammy Baldwin, Jack Reed, Tim Kaine, Jacky Rosen, Benjamin Cardin, Ben Ray Lujan, Ron Wyden. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2022/09/24/senate_democrats_and_title_ix_148234.html

• Is your Congressperson one of the 66 members who signed a letter demanding DOE push through revised Title IX regulations that weaken your constitutional due process rights on campuses? Congressional DOE Demand Letter

• Senate voting database U.S. Senate: Votes

• House of Representative voting database Roll Call Votes

• Visit websites that evaluate and report on Title IX and campus tribunal news, such as Save and Title IX for All.

• Request specific information from your Senators and House Representatives regarding their viewpoint on Title IX issues via phone, email, or regular mail. Here's a link to Reusable sample letters.

• Request specific information from your state and local officials regarding their viewpoint on Title IX issues via phone, email, or regular mail.

• Visit candidates' official websites to gather insights into their policy positions and public statements.

Communicating with Elected Officials

Unjust Title IX campus disciplinary processes started with elected and appointed federal officials creating the "Dear Colleague Letter." All elected officials are our public servants who represent us as their constituents. When you communicate with them, you add weight to the collective voice advocating for the interests vital to you, your family, and your community. Sharing your perspective can help shape our elected officials' understanding and influence their decisions. If you are passionate about creating a fair and equitable campus environment, contacting elected officials is a proactive way to stimulate the change you want to see. Below are a couple of methods to get started advocating for this change:

Stories and Experiences

Sharing personal stories and local experiences can be a highly impactful way of unveiling the injustices affecting our campuses. The more details, the better, emphasizing the examples where due process was neglected and fundamental fairness was removed. If you are uncomfortable sharing your identity (for legal, emotional, or financial reasons), note this and continue sharing the story without such identity. Link to Reusable sample story here.

Call to Action Letter or Email

Expressing your opinion and concerns to elected officials in an urgent message is another effective way to draw attention to the issue. Below are some helpful guidelines:

1. Grab their attention in the beginning by stating your purpose and importance concisely and compellingly.

2. Provide concrete examples to make your message more relatable and memorable.

3. Highlight the importance and clearly articulate the reasons why the issue is so important.

4. Consider potential objections or counterarguments and address them in your message. This shows that you have considered multiple perspectives and strengthens your overall argument.

5. Whenever possible, use data and statistics to back up your claims. This adds credibility to your message and demonstrates that your advocacy is based on evidence.

6. Clearly state what you want your representative to do after reading your message. Whether it's asking them to support a specific piece of legislation, share the message with colleagues, or create reform, a strong call to action encourages engagement.

7. Keep your message concise and to the point, and avoid rambling or unnecessary details.

8. Maintain a respectful and professional tone throughout the message.

9. Use bullet points, bold text, and headings to make your message visually appealing and more accessible to skim through.

10. Follow up if appropriate; this demonstrates persistence and commitment to the cause.

11. Reusable sample message.

Raising Awareness in Your Community

Raising awareness about unjust Title IX disciplinary processes and due process rights in your community can be crucial for promoting understanding and fostering change through collective action. Whether your community is a campus, residential area, group home, small town, or large city, you can have an impact by publicly or anonymously sharing information.

1. Share news stories or articles highlighting the trauma and devastation of wrongful accusations and unjustified punishments.

2. Share reports of lawsuit cases involving campus tribunals.

3. Share website addresses that are devoted to educating the public about unjust disciplinary processes or supporting victims of wrongful accusations, such as Families Advocating for Campus Equality, Save, Title IX for All, and Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers.

4. Share information about due process and historical examples of what happened when it was neglected, for example, Dreyfus Affair: Topics in Chronicling America - Research Guides at Library of Congress and A TrueLegal Horror Story: The Laws Leading to the Salem Witch Trials.

This information can be shared in a variety of ways:

1. Digitally through social media posts (i.e., Facebook, Twitter), email lists, neighborhood apps (i.e., Nextdoor), and news or discussion websites (i.e., Reddit). Some of these platforms allow you to remain anonymous.

2. Print materials (see examples below) and then distribute them at community events, such as fraternity functions, sports events, town halls, education meetings, festivals, parties, picnics, and celebrations. Permission may be required.

3. Print materials and then distribute them to local organizations that allow materials to be deposited on-site, such as grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores, pharmacies, churches, synagogues, and gyms. Permission may be required.

4. Verbally through forums encouraging open discussions, such as town halls, board of education meetings, and community organization meetings. We strongly suggest being well-versed on the subject, anticipating potential objections or counterarguments, and being prepared to address them.

5. Advertise specific websites (i.e., FACE) or other information platforms in fundraising events for local organizations, such as school events, sports events, booster clubs, sports clubs, religious affiliated clubs or events, and local nonprofit organizations.

Here is a link to Examples of Printable Materials (which can be printed in black and white or color, preferably on card stock).

By becoming informed voters, effective communicators, and sharing community members, we can make a real difference in shaping policies that protect the rights of all individuals involved in Title IX proceedings. Thank you for your commitment and any help you can provide to protect our right to due process!