Brigid Harrington

Overview

With a focus on civil rights compliance for higher education institutions, Brigid is a member of the firm’s higher education and private schools and labor and employment teams. She has extensive experience in Title IX, VAWA, ADA, Title VI, Title VII, and athletics compliance, and guides clients through complex issues of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Brigid excels in developing non-discrimination and harassment policies, conducting Title IX investigations, and training university communities on compliance obligations. Beyond higher education, Brigid advises clients including secondary schools, biotech firms, nonprofits, and professional associations. She has counseled employers through internal investigations, employee climate assessments, and other highly sensitive issues.

Brigid is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and contributes to its Committee on Virtual Programming. She has received certifications from ATIXA in Title IX Administration and Title IX Athletics Compliance, and trained in Title IX compliance with the Student Conduct Institute at SUNY. She has also served as a member of the organizing committee of the Boston Bar Association’s annual higher education conference.

Before her current role, Brigid was the Director of Civil Rights at the University of Massachusetts. There, she led a team of investigators and deputy coordinators in implementing comprehensive processes surrounding Title IX policies and sexual and gender-based harassment and ensured such policies, investigations, and trainings were in compliance with federal and state law. She also served as an Investigator at Harvard University's Office of Dispute Resolution. Prior to her work in higher education, Brigid was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City.

Experience

Drafted policies and procedures addressing sexual and gender-based harassment to comply with the 2020 Title IX regulations and the 2021 Massachusetts Campus Sexual Violence Act.
Drafted employee and student conduct policies, including “ethical relationships” policies governing romantic or sexual interactions between university employees, or between employees and students, and policies regarding use of service and emotional support animals on campus.
Conducted civil rights investigations, including Title IX matters, matters involving non-Title IX sexual misconduct, and matters involving harassment or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and/or disability.
Conducted investigations into employee issues and student misconduct; claims against students, staff, and faculty members at educational institutions; and claims against stakeholders in other organizations.
Coordinated individualized supportive measures in Title IX and sexual misconduct cases.
Drafted and oversaw procedures for religious and/or disability-based accommodations in the workplace.
Guides clients through the process of institutional compliance in case management, training, agreements with outside service providers or law enforcement agencies, and reporting to state and federal agencies.
Helps familiarize clients with the NCAA, NSF, NASA, and other organizations’ requirements for sexual harassment training, policy dissemination, and reporting requirements for investigations of student athletes.
Provided Title IX, VAWA, and Massachusetts-compliant training on harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and retaliation; reporting obligations of employees; NCAA and NSF-complaint training; training for confidential resource providers; and bystander intervention training.
Conducts investigations for Ivy + institutions and private employers involving sensitive matters, including allegations of misconduct that occurred over a period of years, matters with multiple parties and allegations, matters involving high profile faculty and executives and athletics employees, and matters involving allegations of criminal conduct.
Completed investigation of allegations of race-based misconduct by the head coach of a Division I sports team.
Completed investigation of allegations of sexual harassment and professional misconduct made by employees against a university department head.
Completed investigation of allegations of decades old criminal conduct by a nonprofit executive.
Provides guidance and support to Title IX coordinators and other administrators as outside general counsel to several colleges and universities.

Accolades

Honors & Recognitions

Named a Go To Higher Education Lawyer, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2024

Affiliations

Professional

Member, Committee on Virtual Programming, National Association of College and University Attorneys
Member, Committee on Legal Resources Library, National Association of College and University Attorneys
Member, Steering Committee for the College & University Law Section, Boston Bar Association
Member, Society for Human Resource Management
Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
Member, Women’s Bar Association
Member, Essex County Bar Association
Member, New York Bar Association