Thomas Aquinas College is an educational institution that is controlled by the Catholic Church that takes seriously anti-discrimination provisions under federal and state law, and is committed to providing a learning and living environment that promotes student safety, transparency, personal integrity, civility and mutual respect. Thomas Aquinas College has not applied for the regulatory exemption under Title IX, 34 C.F.R. section 106.12, but the Title IX statutory exemption provided by Congress, see 20 U.S.C. section 1681(a)(3), is self-executing. As an educational institution that is controlled by the Catholic Church, Thomas Aquinas College is entitled to that statutory exemption to the extent the application of Title IX is not consistent with the College’s Catholic tenets.
Thomas Aquinas College is also exempted by the state from California Education Code Section 66270, to the extent the application of California Education Code Section 66270 is not consistent with the College’s Catholic tenets.
The exemption may apply to, but is not limited to, requirements as expressed in College policies including: the College’s founding document A Proposal for the Fulfillment of Catholic Liberal Education – the College’s mission statement; the Polity; Faculty, Staff, and Student Handbook; Tutor Guide; Code of Coduct; housing policies; religious practices and customs. We retain all rights afforded us under federal law and the laws of the State of California.