STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville’s President Father Dave Pivonka, TOR ’89, issued a letter to students, faculty, and staff in response to questions about the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement last Friday, April 19, concerning its new Title IX regulations. The new regulations, which will take effect on August 1, 2024, redefine the prohibition on sex discrimination and sexual harassment on college and university campuses to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and “gender identity.”

In his letter to the Franciscan University community, Father Pivonka addressed the new Title IX regulations’ formal redefinition of the concept of “sex” to include concepts such as sexual orientation and “gender identity.”

“We believe in the inherent dignity of every human person,” wrote Father Pivonka. “And as a passionately Catholic institution, we believe in and follow the teachings of the Catholic Church that consider ‘sex’ to refer to the objective reality of a human person as a man (male) or as a woman (female), grounded in and determined by a person’s biology.”

Franciscan’s president also underlined the need to “differentiate between behaviors that may be judged by our current cultural norms to be discriminatory or harassing (e.g., explaining Catholic teaching on sexuality) and behaviors that, in fact, violate the dignity of a person (e.g., any act of harassment or violence).”

“Violations of the dignity of a person will not be tolerated on this campus,” he wrote. “Presenting authentic Catholic teachings, which convey truth, beauty, liberty, and healing, uplift the human person in every respect. Teaching what the Church teaches is an act of charity and our duty as a Catholic university.”

Father Pivonka explained in his letter that “the Title IX statute itself and the Title IX regulations state that Title IX does not apply to a religious educational institution to the extent Title IX’s requirements are inconsistent with the religious tenets of the organization. Therefore, whatever effect the new Title IX regulations might have on public institutions or secular institutions, the University will not apply the regulations in any way that is inconsistent with the Catholic Church’s teaching on ‘sex’ as defined in Male and Female He Created Them: Franciscan University of Steubenville Compendium on Human Sexuality.”

This means the University will continue to separate its housing, restrooms, locker rooms, and competitive sport teams by sex in a manner consistent with Church teaching. Additionally, no University employee or student will be required to use pronouns to refer to another person that are inconsistent with that person’s sex as understood by Catholic teaching.

“I can also assure you,” Father Pivonka wrote in conclusion, “that no University employee or student will face discipline for holding views and beliefs consistent with those set forth in our Compendium on Human Sexuality, even if those views and beliefs are inconsistent with the Title IX regulation’s definition of ‘sex.’”

For more information about Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Title IX information, support, and resources, please visit safety.franciscan.edu/title-ix.