Two finalists chosen to fill Title IX coordinator position

UW-Madison announced Thursday it is in the final stages of hiring a new Title IX coordinator after David Blom indicated he will retire from the position in May.

The university is currently under investigation for its handling of sexual assault cases for possible Title IX violations.

Two finalists—Nicholas Oleksy and Lauren Hasselbacher—are vying for the position. Oleksy works as a Title IX investigator at Ohio University, while Hasselbacher is a senior investigator in the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance at University of Colorado Boulder.

Both candidates must give 30-minute presentations on Title IX as it relates to education and answer questions on the topic afterward.

As Title IX coordinator, the candidate chosen will aim to work toward the prevention of sex and gender discrimination on campus and create appropriate ways to respond if it does occur, according to UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone.

“Our primary mission is to ensure that our students can successfully complete their education and we know that discrimination and assault can interfere with that goal,” McGlone said in discussing the importance of the Title IX coordinator.

The university will invite the community to attend the presentations to listen and respond with questions. Both presentations will be in room 55 of Bascom Hall; Oleksy’s presentation will be April 11 and Hasselbacher’s will be the following day.