What Is Title IX and What Are My Rights at School?

In SafeBAE’s national school climate survey, 70% of students said their school didn’t adequately teach their Title IX rights. It is important to know your rights in order to protect yourself or a friend.

What Do Title IX Laws Really Mean?

• Your school is required by law to ensure your safety on campus.
• Your school is required to have established procedures for handling complaints of sexual discrimination, harassment, or violence.
• You have the right to report sexual harassment or assault to your school, and your school MUST take steps to ensure victims do not have to share space, such as classes, with their abuser.
• Your school should inform you of your right to counseling services and your right to make a report to law enforcement.
• Your school may NOT retaliate against someone filing a complaint and must keep the complainant safe from retaliatory harassment.
• Schools can NOT discourage you from continuing your education, and must provide reasonable accommodations for your safety.

Supportive Measures

Schools are required to offer supportive measures, and students and families can request them even if you choose not to have an investigation. These can include school-based no-contact orders, changes in academic schedule, academic support and tutoring, excused absences for treatment or medical and mental health conditions, referral to health services and survivor advocate services, and limiting a perpetrator’s access to activities. To be clear: your school should not force or pressure any of these options — you should never be made to feel you have to leave school or change schools.

Who Do I Talk To?

When in doubt, go directly to the school Title IX Director (sometimes called the Title IX Coordinator). Your school website should have that information, or you can ask the school secretary. A school is in violation of Title IX if the survivor experiences harassment during the reporting process, if the investigation isn’t prompt and impartial, if the survivor faces retaliation, or if the school fails to provide reasonable accommodations or a no-contact order. Title IX laws are always changing — which is why knowing what is available to protect you is so crucial.