Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments (Title IX) is often misunderstood. Title IX applies to all public k-12 schools as well as colleges and universities that receive federal funding. Through Title IX, students can report sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex-based discrimination, stalking, and dating and domestic violence. In addition, Title IX offers rights and assistance to pregnant and parenting students while attending colleges and universities.
If you find yourself involved in a matter regarding an issue related to Title IX, you need advice and guidance from attorneys that have experience and an understanding of the Title IX law and regulations. Fillmore Spencer attorneys have brought successful lawsuits against academic institutions.
Title IX law can protect you if you are a student enrolled in an academic institution, or if you are employed or affiliated with an educational institution that receives federal funding or any public-school k-12. Title IX covers all schools that receive federal funding, even when there are no federal funds allocated to the activity at issue. Title IX claims can be brought against a private institution; the type of school you attend is not as important as the facts surrounding your case.
While Title IX covers all areas of academic life, there are two principal areas where Title IX claims have been successful:
The impact of Title IX has been so significant in sports, particularly in expanding opportunities for female athletes, that many people mistakenly believe that Title IX only applies to athletics. If you discriminated against and denied a chance to be on a team, you should consult with an attorney. Although you may have been told the basis for the decision was unbiased, a thorough review may find systemic bias that limited your opportunity. In these cases, courts will look at the school’s population gender ratio and any disparity between that and the availability of opportunities for males and females. The actual inclusion criteria of the athletic team or group within the school to deny you access will not stand as a basis of non-discrimination.
Title IX also applies when there is funding or sponsorship that promotes gender inequality. This can apply to a single athlete, a team, or even academic programs. The interpretation of Title IX has also been extended to include protections for coaches and team support staff, and athletic officials in lawsuits showing inequality in pay based on sex.
The Office for Civil Rights under the Department of Education (OCR), in 2020, published regulations surrounding Title IX. Those regulations expanded the coverage of Title IX to include sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, stalking, dating and domestic violence. OCR is currently updating those regulations to expand Title IX protections to students who are pregnant and parenting, as well as sex-based harassment, which includes gender identity. Recent court cases have extended the interpretation and prohibited discrimination based on gender stereotypes. If your child is harassed or hazed, even by students who look like him or her, a complaint based on Title IX can be brought against the school.
Title IX has also been effective in combating sexual harassment in hostile environments, quid pro quo, and peer-to-peer situations within educational institutions. A hostile environment is defined as “one in which unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance.” Quid pro quo is the Latin term used to describe situations wherein allowing sexual advances is a condition of the maintenance of employment. Peer-to-peer sexual harassment occurs when a person in a position of authority knows of harassment among students or subordinate employees and responds with “deliberate indifference” to it.
Those who inform authorities of violations to Title IX are afforded whistleblower protection. The Supreme Court ruled in Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education to extend the scope of Title IX to protect whistleblowers in gender discrimination cases. School officials and students are protected from liability if they report problems of sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, and discrimination within academic institutions.
Our Title IX Violation Attorneys Can Help. If you or your child were subject to discrimination because of gender or sexual orientation, call Fillmore Spencer today. We offer free initial consultations to those seeking legal guidance or representation for sex-based discrimination and Title IX violations. Call us at (801) 426-8200 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with an attorney to review your claim and your options.
This website is lawyer advertising for general information only. The information provided is not formal legal advice, nor does it establish a lawyer/client relationship.
