In the wake of Title IX battles across the country and in Louisiana, Julie Broussard took on the role of Tulane University’s new Title IX coordinator on Sept. 1.  

Broussard’s journey at Tulane began as an undergraduate student when she obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology and French. 

After obtaining her master’s degree in social work, Broussard returned to Tulane and worked for three years in Case Management and Victim Support Services. She then worked at Title IX office, where she served as deputy Title IX coordinator, until she dropped the “deputy” earlier this month.  

Title IX is a gender equity law passed in 1972, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program that receives federal funding, which includes Tulane.  

“The Title IX office is dedicated to ensuring gender equity at Tulane University, which includes coordinating the university’s efforts to prevent and effectively respond to all forms of sex discrimination (including gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination) and sexual misconduct impacting community members,” Tulane’s Title IX office website states. 

However, the Title IX office does not directly investigate complaints. The office works to prevent sexual misconduct through methods such as educational programs. 

The Title IX office is in the second year of its “All In 2.0” plan, a comprehensive prevention and response plan designed to fight sexual violence.  

“The reason why we call our strategic plan “All In” is because everyone in the campus community has to be all in on combating sexual violence,” Broussard said.  

Broussard said that the university has been improving its alternative resolution processes.  

“The two things that I heard the most from victims was, ‘I don’t want to ruin someone’s life’ and ‘I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,’” she said. 

When students come to Broussard’s office with a claim of sexual discrimination or misconduct, she wants to provide them with alternative routes besides the typical formal investigation, in which the process can feel adversarial.   

“The Office of Institutional Equity has staff that are leading a restorative practices program, and so we’ve really been expanding our ability to offer what we’re calling alternative resolutions, where if both parties agree, we don’t have to go through this formal investigation charging adjudication process,” she said. 

As the new Title IX officer, Broussard wants to engage the entire Tulane community on issues of sexual violence, misconduct and discrimination.  

“I can sit in my office and design the most brilliant prevention programs or educational program,” Broussard said. “But they’re not going to be effective if we don’t actually have students, faculty and staff bought into the idea that this is an important issue, and that we all need to play a role in it.”