Reisha Williams Appointed Harvard College Title IX Officer

Reisha Williams will serve as the next Harvard College Title IX Program Officer, Associate Dean of Students Lauren E. Brandt ’01 announced on Friday.

The previous program officer, Erin Clark, left Harvard in November. Associate University Title IX Coordinator Caysie Carter Harvey has handled undergraduate Title IX disclosures, according to an spokesperson for the Office of Gender Equity. Harvey will continue to be the main point of contact for complaints as Williams transitions into the office.

Williams previously served as a senior coordinator in the Title IX office at The Juilliard School in New York City. She will become the fourth person since 2019 to fill the College’s Title IX resource coordinator role.

The College also appears to be actively hiring an assistant Title IX director, according to a job posting on the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Reisha’s experience in the realm of violence prevention, supportive services, and Title IX position her to seamlessly join the Harvard College Title IX Team,” Nicole M. Merhill, the University Title IX coordinator and director of the Office for Gender Equity, wrote in an emailed statement.

Title IX coordinators advise individuals who have experienced or caused harm and help them implement safety measures, file formal Title IX complaints, or access resources and support systems.

Over 60 Title IX coordinators work in offices across the University. The Office of Gender Equity lists each school’s coordinator and their contact information on its website — but since Clark’s departure, the College has had no designated coordinators and students have been directed to reach out to a generic Title IX office email.

Correction: February 2, 2024

A previous version of this article and headline incorrectly stated that the position of Harvard College Title IX Program Officer has gone unfilled since Erin Clark’s November departure. In fact, Caysie Carter Harvey served as the acting Harvard College Title IX Program Officer.

—Staff writer Tess C. Wayland can be reached at tess.wayland@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tess_wayland.