Court Rejects Title IX Claim Over 20-Month Suspension at Icahn Medical School

In her final semester, medical student Jane Roe reported a sexual assault by fellow student John Doe at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. After an internal investigation, the school imposed a 20-month suspension on Doe, citing the assault’s circumstances and the absence of prior incidents. Roe sued under Title IX, arguing the sanction was too lenient and that the school discriminated against her.

Judge Andrew Carter ruled that Roe could not claim the outcome was erroneous, failed to provide a comparator for selective enforcement, and did not demonstrate that the school inadequately addressed a hostile environment. The decision emphasized that schools need only take timely, good-faith measures, not guarantee effectiveness. The court therefore dismissed all of Roe’s Title IX claims.