ms. lisa maatz. you state in your statement that you read to us that current law requires schools to respond to campus sexual assault because a students civil rights are on the line. you also said that a school civil rights investigation in any law enforcement criminal investigation represent parallel and equally necessary paths. can you please explain the parallel tracks of title nine enforcement interact as compared with criminal investigations, and why is it so important for the victim to get to decide whether he or she wants to present a criminal investigation as opposed to campus this plenary process? >> well, thank you very much for the question. i think there is great confusion between what a criminal process looks like and what the civil rights process on a college campus is supposed to look like. college campuses are not supposed to be nor do we expect him to be enforcing criminal law. what they're doing is looking at civil rights. has timeline been violated? as a woman come in this case, as

ms. lisa maatz is vice president of government relations for the association of university women here inhington, d.c. she previously spent 16 months serving concurrently as the interim director of the aauw legal defense fund. she has done similar work for the now legal defense and education fund and the older women's league. mr. joseph kohn is policy director at the foundation for individual rights and education in philadelphia, pennsylvania. he's a former staff attorney for the united states court of appeals for the third circuit and a law clerk in the field court of common pleas. immediately prior to joining fire, mr. cohn served as the interim legal director in nevada and utah. i now ask our witnesses to stand and raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? let the record reflect the witnesses answered in the affirmative. you may take your seat. before i recognize you to provide your testimony, let me briefly explain our lighting system. you have five minutes to present you

ms. lisa maatz. you stated in your statement that you read to us that current law requires schools to respond to campus sexual assault because a student's civil rights are on the line. you also said that a school civil rights investigation and any law enforcement criminal investigation represent parallel and equally necessary paths. can you please explain the parallel tracks of title ix enforcement interact as compared with criminal investigations and why is it so important for the victim to be able to decide whether he or she wants to pursue a criminal investigation as opposed to campus disciplinary process? >> well, i think -- thank you very much for the question. i think there is great confusion between what a criminal process looks like and what the civil rights process on a college campus is supposed to look like. college campuses are not supposed to be nor do we expect them to be enforcing criminal law. what they are doing is looking at civil rights. has title ix been violated, has a woman in t