7 Key Questions To Understand The Title IX Law

The issues of gender discrimination have been a major issue whether in the schools and athletics. With the Title IX, which is the primary legal component through which the educational institutions handle the issue of sexual harassment or assault. According to the law, all those institutions receiving funds from the federal government need to deal with the issues of sexual harassment and assault quickly and in such a way that the students of the institution receive the benefits of education right away.

Here are seven key questions about Title IX can be replied through a Title IX attorney.

1) What is Title IX?

Before the schools that receive federal funds to deal with the issues of Title IX, it is necessary to understand what it is. All those educational institutions that receive federal funds for their activities and educational programs must comply with the regulations of Title IX such as the public K-12 schools as well as the private schools. It also incorporates those educational programs that take place after school, libraries, extracurricular activities, and the agencies that deal with vocational rehabilitation all of which receive funds from the federal government.

2) Protection through the law

• The Title IX is not only applicable to the students at the undergraduate level, faculty, staff, graduate students, and visitors and all of them get protection under the law.
• The laws of anti-discrimination charges are going to apply to the private and public elementary schools, school districts, and the secondary schools.
• The law does not apply to the female students only and also prohibits the discrimination that results from the sexual orientation, and gender identity. The law also benefits gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students as well.
• All the students who are protected under this law are regardless of gender identity, immigration status, nationality, ability, and gender identity. The Title IX defense lawyer is hired by the opposite side for dismissal of the charges.

3) What is sexual discrimination?

When it comes to Title IX, sexual discrimination includes such things as sexual harassment and all those harassment that are based on gender bias. Sexual harassment can take many forms such as sexual comments that are unwelcome, or advances to acts of cyber bullying to sexual contacts that are non-consensual. On the other hand, the gender-based harassment occur when individuals are bullied or harassed as they do not conform to the stereotypes of gender such as male students facing harassment in the school for wearing a specific dress to school.

The harassment is also prohibited under Title IX when hostile environment is created against the victim within the school premises in such a manner that they cannot participate in the school programs or receive the desired benefits from the educational programs. Such an environment can be caused due to single or repeated incidents. The schools need to take proper action against discrimination or harassment no matter where the incidents occur. The acts that take place off the campus may be adequately serious when it creates a hostile environment that fall under the tenets of this law.

4) What should the schools do?

When such acts of sexual discrimination takes place, the schools must develop and publish for broad distribution of the anti-discrimination policy. The policy thus designed must assert the commitment of the school towards no-discrimination on sexual grounds and needs to include appropriate definitions of sexual consent, discrimination, harassment, and violence. As far as the policy is concerned, it must also provide proper instructions to the students and the community members to file complaints and also contact the coordinator of Title IX. When students are victimised with such acts, contacting the Title IX law firm can help them to walk through the legal process.

5) Reporting a claim of harassment

Immediately after receiving the complaints, the educational institutions need to follow a suitable procedure of grievance in different cases. However, the complaint must reach the coordinator and is to be made available to different members of the school.

6) What is the job of the coordinator?

According to the department of education, the schools need to appoint a coordinator for Title IX. These coordinators are assigned with the responsibility to train the staff, students, and the faculty on the obligations and rights that apply to Title IX. When the coordinators receive the complaints, they are also going to watch the response of the school to this issue. Quite naturally, the primary role of the coordinator is to create a healthy environment in the school.

7) Role of schools when the complaint is resolved

The schools must provide provisional accommodation to the complainant to provide protection to them when the investigation is under procedure. During this period, there must be restricted contract between the parties or change classes, and provide other opportunities to make up for the work.

Furthermore, the schools need to ensure that there is no burden on the complainant and they are aware of the resources that exist such as the legal support, counselling, and the academic help.