Gendered Bureaucratic Discrimination: The Role of Case Severity, Complexity, and Ambiguity

This study investigates factors that shape case prioritization in public service delivery, focusing on Title IX coordinators (n = 371) handling sexual misconduct cases in U.S. colleges. Using a conjoint experiment, we find that coordinators deprioritize complex, time-sensitive cases involving transgender victims and prioritize severe cases and those with less ambiguity. When we examine the intersection of severity, complexity, and ambiguity, we find that coordinators prioritize cases that are both less complex and ambiguous, which results in persistent biases against transwomen. These findings have significant implications for social equity in an understudied policy area and extend discussions on the factors that mitigate or worsen discrimination.