After launching the new Office of Equity and Title IX in August, the University announced on Friday the appointment of the inaugural assistant vice president for equity and Title IX.
Seth Grossman, chief of staff and counselor to President Sylvia Burwell, wrote in an email to the American University community that AU chose Leslie T. Annexstein for the position. She previously served as the Title IX director at Howard University and the deputy director of the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct at the University of Maryland. She has also held roles at different advocacy organizations, such as the Urban Justice Center and the National Women’s Law Center.
“She has a passion for creating values-based communities and working across institutions to build strong bonds that yield exceptional results,” Grossman said in the email.
The Office of Equity and Title IX replaces the former Title IX office, which only handled complaints from students, not faculty or staff members. The new office handles complaints from all members of the AU community and will receive additional funding and increase its number of full-time staff members. The office also handles racial discrimination complaints.
“Having a centralized function with a dedicated leader will provide a direct avenue for individual concerns to be promptly and meaningfully addressed; enhance our approach to preventing and responding to discrimination, harassment, and sexual assault complaints; and provide everyone in our community with a space to be heard,” Grossman said.
Stephen Vaughan previously served as the interim Title IX program officer and helped with the transition of the new office after former Title IX program officer Regina Curran left the role this past April.
