Aishah Casseus has been named Wake Forest University Title IX director, effective October 1. Casseus previously held similar positions at Winston-Salem State University and Florida State University. Casseus, a licensed attorney, earned her Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University in Durham, with a concentration in Constitutional Law and Civil Rights. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social science, with a minor in sociology, from Troy University in Dothan, Alabama.
In May, the U.S. Department of Education announced new regulations for Title IX, the federal gender-equity law. Notable changes include mandated live hearings and the allowance of cross-examination when deciding sexual-misconduct complaints. These are are the first such regulatory changes to the law in nearly 50 years.
The Wake Forest University Title IX 2020 Implementation Task Force began meeting in June to develop new policies in compliance with all aspects of the federal law and to maintain the University’s highest priorities: equity, fairness, access, safety and respect for the entire Wake Forest community. Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue and Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives Kami Chavis co-chaired the task force, which included a Student Advisory Group. Jessica Telligman, who served as interim Title IX coordinator, and Stephanie Trilling, director of the Women’s Center, led the Student Advisory Group, which provided invaluable student input throughout the policy development process.
The University and Task Force are glad to welcome Cassus as new Title IX director. “Aishah brings with her a tremendous amount of experience in the Title IX and 504 (b) areas,” Chavis said. “We look forward to working with her and benefitting from her expertise.”
“I want to ensure that everyone on our campus fully understands their responsibilities and the way Wake Forest feels about equity in access,” Casseus said.
