Ohio University’s Title IX coordinator resigns

Ohio University announced Wednesday that Inya Baiye, the Title IX Coordinator for the university, resigned from her position earlier this month and will be accepting a position at a different university.According to an email sent to the Ohio University community, Baiye, who also served as the director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, resigned on Nov. 4. Nicholas Olesky, a current Title IX investigator, will serve as acting Title IX coordinator for students until a new ECRC director can be found. Jessica Cook will serve as the interim Title IX coordinator “for employees and university programs.”The email also said that the Provost’s Office will begin searching for a replacement “in late Fall 2015 (sic).” University spokespeople did not respond to a request to elaborate on when specifically that search would begin.Title IX was passed in 1972 to help eliminate discrimination based on sexual identity in schools and activities that receive federal funding. It is perhaps best known for creating measures that make sports accessible to men and women alike, but the effect of Title IX extends beyond those measures.According to the U.S. Department of Education, “discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.” For this reason, public universities such as Ohio University are required to employ at least one person in the role of Title IX coordinator and inform students and employees of this person’s name and contact information.This person’s job includes tasks such as “overseeing all complaints of sex discrimination and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such complaints,” according to the USDOE.University spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said this change will have no effect on the search for a new Survivor Advocacy Program coordinator.