Concerns Raised Over Future of Title IX Coordinator at the Office of Equity & Inclusion

On Sept. 9, 2026, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Willette Burnham-Williams announced the retirement of Assistant Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator Debbie Colucci from Wesleyan via an email to students and faculty. The change took students and faculty by surprise, with the email noting that Colucci’s departure from Wesleyan would be effective immediately.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex-based discrimination in all U.S. K–12 schools, colleges, and universities receiving federal financial assistance. Title IX offices on college campuses ensure institutional compliance with the federal law by investigating allegations of sex-based discrimination, including sexual misconduct incidents.

“Wesleyan started making plans for an interim Title IX Coordinator as soon as we became aware of Debbie’s plans to retire, late August 2026,” Burnham-Williams wrote in an email to The Argus. 

Wesleyan’s website for campus clubs and organizations still lists Colucci as the Assistant Vice President of Equity and Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator. 

Allegations of sexual assault at Cornell University and other universities around the country have sparked a national debate around Title IX policies and institutional responses to sexual violence on college campuses. Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) President Andrea Herrera ’27 shared her observation of students’ frustration around the staff changes in the Office for Equity & Inclusion (OEI).

“I think students are feeling very concerned about the changes within the Office for Equity and Inclusion, especially regarding Title IX,” Herrera wrote in an email to The Argus. “At the moment, we don’t have the same level of staffing and support that students may need. My fear is that because the people currently in these positions are already handling a lot, things could potentially fall through the cracks. I don’t want that to happen, especially when it comes to supporting students and addressing Title IX concerns.”

Similarly, leaders of Greek organizations on campus have expressed dismay at Colucci’s sudden departure. 

“As president, I never received any notice on how this affects Greek life,” Psi Upsilon (Psi U) President Katherine Risden ’28 said. “It sucks. It’s actually a hit to us because Psi U has really appreciated all of Debbie Colucci’s efforts. She has been an incredible ally to us.”

The Office for Equity & Inclusion shared a timeline for Wesleyan’s search for a new Title IX Coordinator, but did not comment on when they hoped for the search to conclude. For the time being, Associate Director for Equity Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Patricia Stephenson Gordon will be handling any Title IX concerns, but is not taking over Colucci’s former position. Gordon’s new responsibilities were not included in the Sep. 9 email to students, but were included in an email from Burnham-Williams to The Argus.

“We are currently interviewing individuals for an interim role and will launch a national search for a full-time Title IX Coordinator this semester,” Burnham-Williams wrote. “Patricia [Stephenson Gordon] has been a valued member of the OEI team for over 20 years; she assumed the role of Associate Director for Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator and has reported to the Title IX Coordinator for over three years. She is not assuming a new role.”

Burnham-Williams shared her hopes that students will continue to utilize the Title IX Office and the Office for Equity and Inclusion despite the changes in staffing this semester.

“I hope that students don’t feel a change,” Burnham-Williams wrote. “I trust that they are confident in our policy/process and feel that they can reach out to us to seek support, ask questions, and be heard without first having to know exactly what they might need or what process they may want to pursue during their most vulnerable times. I hope students feel that the transition has been seamless, and the Title IX Office hears them and genuinely takes every step to best help them feel supported as they navigate difficult situations.”

Risden shared her concerns that students would feel hesitant to report their concerns to the Title IX Office following Colucci’s departure.

“You can’t ask in fairness for students to not feel like there’s a change when even with Colucci, who the members of Psi U really respected, there were still problems with the Title IX process,” Risden said. “We used Colucci as a resource all the time, for her wisdom, for her amazingness, and [yet] very rarely did members of the space or victims ever feel supported enough to actually go through with the Title IX process. If you take away the only person who is actually getting people towards these resources and towards that knowledge, obviously people are going to feel like a huge wave has just come across the Title IX Office, and you can’t just say, ‘Oh, come on, guys! Feel better.’”

The Argus reached out to Colucci, but did not receive a response. According to her LinkedIn profile, Colucci is now employed as a Senior Solutions Specialist at a remote consulting firm specializing in civil rights compliance.

Wesleyan encourages students who have observed or experienced concerning behavior to report it via the Incident Reporting Form, or directly to Public Safety, Human Resources, or the Dean of Students Office.

Sangye Sherpa contributed reporting and can be reached at ssherpa@wesleyan.edu.

Miles Craven can be reached at mcraven@wesleyan.edu.

Akari Ikeda can be reached at aikeda@wesleyan.edu.