Multiple Florida Atlantic University students and alumni spoke out at the FAU Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday about the board’s decision to amend Regulation 7.008. The regulation is meant to outline FAU’s policy regarding discrimination and harassment on campus, as well as how to report it.

The amendment will incorporate Florida laws on discrimination and harassment in a standalone regulation, separate from FAU’s general policies. Florida’s Individual Freedom Act and other federal legislation have restrictions surrounding these topics in school systems.

“This Regulation does not prohibit the discussion of the concepts set forth in BOG Regulation 10.005 as part of a larger course of training or instruction, provided such training or instruction is given in an objective manner without endorsement of the concepts,” according to Regulation 7.008.

Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Joseph Van de Bogart presented the amendment to the board. “The proposed regulation 7.008 updates the purpose and scope for better alignment with current federal and state anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws and regulations,” Bogart said. “By adopting a dedicated Title IX policy, FAU can now provide clear, more transparent processes for all parties involved, which aligns with better regulations.”

The Board of Trustees ultimately voted to approve the amendment to Regulation 7.008 before open forum. The amendment passed unanimously.

Once the floor opened for public comments, the community members expressed concerns about the amendment, fearing that FAU wasn’t serious about its commitment to “providing a workplace and education environment that is free from discrimination and harassment,” as stated in FAU’s official anti-discrimination and anti-harassment page.

Ky Walker, a graduate student, expressed how excited he was when he first got to FAU, but said his experience on campus has been a lot more tribulating than expected.

“We hear time and time again how diverse FAU is, how wonderful of a school it is for diverse and marginalized students. But that’s never been my experience, and I know it’s not an isolated event,” said Walker.

Walker went on to mention how his experiences caused him to have to move off campus for his mental health. He ended his remarks by pleading with the board, saying, “I just want to encourage FAU to continue to hear from those diverse voices that they claim to represent and support, and show up in action and not just in words.”

Gabriel Rouille, a sophomore majoring in communication and international economics, was one of the people to address the board. Rouille took his time to detail his concern with the amendment to Regulation 7.008, and asked, “Who is benefiting from this?”

“What we’re seeing here in the proposed section 7.008 is simply frightening,” said Rouille. “In the first crossed-off paragraph, the statute removes FAU’s commitment to providing fairness and equity. The removal of fairness and equity as goals of FAU as an institution shows the further backstepping of its commitment to the well-being of students and the local community alike.”

FAU’s Student Government’s secretary of the Boca Raton House of Representatives, May Rojas, expressed her concerns with the amendment’s removal of Title IX and other language. Rojas mentioned how, because of her position, she sees the worries of other students. She concluded by asking the board if they planned to fight to keep BOG Regulation 10.005, and if they had anything to say to students who were worried about the policy being removed.

Alexi Lambridis, a junior political science major and vice president of the FAU Democrats, expressed concern that separating Title IX into a different policy might complicate the reporting process for students. Lambridis said that, based on a conversation with Title IX coordinator Bobby Brown, the change could affect how students report harassment or discrimination.

Lambridis further mentioned how diverse FAU’s population is, and that strong anti-discrimination and anti-harassment legislation is a necessity. Lambridis accused the board of wanting more authority, saying, “Let’s be one hundred percent crystal clear right now. This decision is not about improving fairness; it is about control.”

Community member Sheila Jaffe, founder of the Feminist Scholarship Fund, also spoke to the board, asking them to reconsider amending their policy, saying, “I think this should be postponed until there is a community discussion. This is a very important issue, and it just went ahead and seemed rubber-stamped.”

Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at jdemosthenes792@gmail.com or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.