Statement from Southern Utah University
Published: September 01, 2022 | Read Time: 1 minutes
Southern Utah University received a complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday, August 30 by a faculty member, regarding the use of gender pronouns. Prior to the filing of the federal lawsuit, SUU followed established policies and conducted an impartial investigation and hearing in accordance with due process.
While there is no SUU policy that specifically requires the use of gender pronouns, the University must strictly adhere to federal regulations regarding anti-discrimination (Policy 5.27) and sexual misconduct (Policy 5.60) under Title VII and Title IX respectively. Those regulations were updated in January 2021 with the Biden Administration expanding the definition of sex to include gender identity. SUU employees are required to follow these federal guidelines, just as are all people who are employed in either the private or public sectors.
President Biden’s Executive Order dated March 8, 2021 includes, “All students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual violence, and including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The University strives to create an environment where meaningful learning is fostered without discrimination or substantial disruption. Southern Utah University is committed to the principles of free speech guaranteed by the U.S. and Utah constitutions as well as applicable statutory and regulatory law as written in institutional Policy 5.1.