Published on: January 27, 2026
An ATIXA Testimonial by Melissa Stutz, Ed.D., Senior Vice President of Student Services and Title IX Coordinator, Laramie County Community College
I work with a team of dedicated professionals managing Title IX responsibilities. We meet regularly to collaborate and share insights, all while balancing duties that extend far beyond Title IX. Because we do not conduct Title IX investigations daily, we rely heavily on clear procedures and meaningful training.
Last summer, I organized a statewide Title IX private training in Wyoming with ATIXA and its parent consulting firm, TNG Consulting. The experience stands out as one of the most practical, energizing, and affirming professional development opportunities we have had. More than 50 of us gathered, representing community colleges and the university system. From the beginning, the setup and organization were exceptional, but the heart of the training was W. Scott Lewis, J.D., Managing Partner at TNG and Co-founder of ATIXA.
I believe this without hesitation: Scott Lewis is the G.O.A.T. of Title IX training. If you’re not familiar, that means the greatest of all time. His ability to teach, connect, and humanize this work is unmatched.
Meeting Us Where We Are
What immediately set this training apart was the level of customization. Before Scott stepped foot in the room, he hosted a pre-mobilization meeting to understand our audience. We were upfront about who would be there, what we needed, and what our day-to-day realities are. He listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and adapted the content to be directly relevant to people who do this work periodically rather than daily.
That tailoring showed in every moment of the training. It was informative, fun, engaging, and full of strategies to implement right away. Participants left feeling more prepared, more confident, and more grounded in the structure we need to investigate effectively. I walked away thinking, “This training will make everyone who attended a better investigator, a better decision-maker, and a better Title IX Coordinator.”
Scott has an extraordinary ability to read the room and understand the complexity of our context. Wyoming is unique: smaller institutions, many rural communities, limited staff capacity, and a model in which Title IX investigators are often employees who have completed the appropriate training, but investigating is not their full-time job. We maintain a pool of about 10 investigators, advisors, and hearing officers who meet at least once a semester to refresh our skills, debrief cases, and recenter our procedures. Because we do not investigate daily, ATIXA’s Title IX toolkit, TIXKit, and the resources available through our membership help guide our actions whenever a case arises.
Scott understood that immediately. He helped us build tools that were accessible, practical, and easy to reference when a new case comes in. His focus on strengthening intake meetings and reinforcing the importance of structured pre-meeting processes reshaped how I approach cases.
Enhancing Title IX Investigations
The primary learning outcome of our team training was investigative skills. We wanted to ask better questions, know how to dig deeper, and develop techniques to get the information we needed without compromising fairness or sensitivity. Scott met that need with clarity and depth.
His approach reflects something I appreciate profoundly: he brings a human element to every technical requirement. He honors the law and the process, but he also honors the people doing the work. For many of us who do not live in Title IX every day, that balance makes all the difference. He not only teaches the steps but helps us feel capable of carrying them out.
The Impact on Our Statewide Title IX Community
The statewide nature of the training amplified its impact. In Wyoming, we operate under a collaborative structure in which Title IX Coordinators from every institution meet monthly to compare practices and explore possibilities, such as creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to share investigators. Not many states have the opportunity to explore a statewide model that allows this level of collaboration, but our size makes it workable and deeply beneficial.
Scott helped strengthen that network even more. His training gave us shared language, shared tools, and shared confidence. When someone from one institution attends an ATIXA training, they bring new insights back to the entire group. That collective growth matters.
Hoping to Bring the G.O.A.T. Back
As much as the training moved us forward, it also reminded us how quickly this field evolves. In just the past few weeks, my team has said, “We all need a refresher.” We are already reaching back out to ATIXA and TNG to ask whether Scott would like to come back to Wyoming.
What we need next is a statewide refresher and, ideally, something we have all talked about: the chance to run a full mock hearing from start to finish. Investigation, advisor roles, questioning, decision-making, hearing board deliberation, every step dissected and practiced together. There is no substitute for acting it out and learning alongside colleagues who approach the same situation with different instincts. Someone always remarks, “I didn’t even think of that,” and that teaching moment is invaluable.
The Art of Doing This Work Well
It is hard to say that Title IX work is exciting, but this training genuinely was. In a moment of national uncertainty and regulatory change, Scott navigated every question with steadiness and clarity. He made us feel prepared for whatever was coming next.
ATIXA delivers exceptional training, resources, and support, but Scott brings something else: the art of doing this work well. That combination is why I continue to call him the G.O.A.T. and why we hope to get him back to Wyoming soon.
You can count on ATIXA and TNG for comprehensive guidance, education, and expert consultation on Title IX compliance. Bring these experts to your school today.