Sarah Onori to begin as Title IX and civil rights investigator later this month

Content warning: This article references sexual assault. 

On Tuesday, Georgetown announced the onboarding of new Title IX and civil rights investigator Sarah Onori, who will begin work later in February. The role of Title IX investigator and coordinator had both been filled by current Title IX coordinator Samantha Berner since June 2018, when Laura Cutway departed from the university. 

In the announcement, the university states that Onori will be responsible for handling complaints of stalking, sexual assault and harassment, and domestic and dating violence. In addition to her role as Title IX investigator, she will also address employee civil rights discrimination and harassment issues and conduct university climate assessments. 

“Sarah comes to Georgetown with exceptional experience, extreme enthusiasm and will be a great addition to the office,” Berner said in the announcement. “We look forward to welcoming Sarah and introducing her to the Georgetown community.”

Onori’s hiring follows a push from Georgetown’s Black Survivors Coalition demanding improved resources for black survivors of sexual misconduct. In a letter to university administration, the group demanded that the university hire more black clinicians to serve survivors. In their response, a university spokesperson noted that a new Title IX and civil rights investigator would begin in February, but did not name Onori.