WHAT IS TITLE IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Although Title IX is most often associated with advancing equity in girls and women’s athletics, Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in all education programs and activities.
What is a Title IX Coordinator?
Institutions that receive federal funding typically have one or more Title IX Coordinators on campus whose core responsibilities include overseeing the institution’s response to sexual misconduct. As such, the Title IX Coordinator must be informed of all reports raising Title IX issues regardless of where the report was initially filed.
Who reports to the Title IX Coordinator?
Under Title IX, employees of the institution are required to inform the Title IX Coordinator of all relevant information, including names, even if the individual who made the disclosure requests privacy. Whenever an individual discloses sexual misconduct to a campus employee, that employee must report the disclosure to a Title IX Coordinator as soon as practically possible. Victims can also make a report of sexual assault directly to a Title IX Coordinator. If you are a survivor attending a Title IX institution, check your institution’s website for contact information.
Are reports to the Title IX Coordinator confidential?
The Title IX Coordinator will evaluate requests for privacy in the context of the institution’s responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students. There may be circumstances where the Title IX Coordinator must override a request in order to meet the institution’s Title IX obligations. Additionally, honoring the request may limit the institution’s ability to respond fully, including pursuing disciplinary action against the alleged perpetrator.
Once a report is made, the institution must balance the privacy of the survivor with that of the safety of the campus community at large. The Title IX Coordinator or similarly designated person, will determine what information must be shared and with whom. In order to take advantage of administrative options and other accommodations, the identity of the survivor cannot remain confidential.
What protections are available to survivors of sexual assault at Title IX institutions?
While deciding whether you want to file a report, there are some options you can take to protect yourself physically, academically, and socially. Each institution is different; however, there may be options and accommodations for changing academic, living, transportation, and work situations if a request is made to the institution’s administration. Your institution may offer assistance in obtaining institutional no contact orders and/or changing living location, transportation (including escort assistance), parking location, or class schedules to reduce the chance of continued contact with the alleged perpetrator.
Do I still have rights under Title IX even if my university does not have a Title IX coordinator?
For those institutions without a Title IX Coordinator on campus, you still have rights under the Title IX Act and reports can be made through the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights