Title IX Consulting and Advisement in Connecticut
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protected Americans from discrimination in employment and public businesses, but it did not address sex-based discrimination in educational institutions. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments filled this gap, requiring schools receiving federal funding to comply with sex-based discrimination protections or face serious federal consequences. For guidance on understanding your rights and obligations under Title IX, consider seeking Title IX consulting and advice in Connecticut from a seasoned Title IX attorney.
What Does Title IX Require Schools to Do?
Title IX addresses sex-based discrimination and inequality in federally funded schools in two primary ways: (1) through the availability of school-sponsored athletic opportunities and benefits; and (2) the proactive prevention of and response to sexual misconduct against students on school property. In the former context, Title IX broadly requires equal facilities, funding, and institutional support for both male and female sports programs and sufficient accommodations specifically for female student-athletes.
The latter context is where most Title IX complaints fall within and what most Title IX cases revolve around. Federally Funded Connecticut schools must appoint a Title IX coordinator, whose job is to ensure all Title IX regulations are followed, and to conduct fair and thorough investigations into any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse involving students and/or school faculty, and provide remedies to people impacted by such misconduct.
Title IX Protections for Students and Faculty
The remedies mentioned above can take various forms depending on what is needed to protect a complainant’s short-term safety, as well as their long-term educational prospects. For example, remedies can include rescheduling classes, allowing classes to be dropped and/or retaken without penalty, providing different housing accommodations for the complainant or respondent, and potentially taking disciplinary action against an attacker or abuser. While Title IX investigations are ongoing, schools are required to protect complainants from further mistreatment or harassment. This may entail taking interim measures like imposing a temporary no-contact order against the person or people named in the complaint. Seeking Title IX advice from a Connecticut attorney is the best way to understand these remedies.
It is important to note that no school faculty member, employee, or representative can take any retaliatory action against someone exercising their rights under Title IX. Schools must take swift disciplinary action against anyone who attempts to retaliate or does retaliate against a complainant in response to an allegation. Finally, schools must provide information to students and faculty about confidential support services that they can access before and after filing a Title IX complaint.
A Connecticut Attorney Can Provide Title IX Consulting and Advisement
The information mentioned above is a very broad overview of what rights Title IX provides to students and faculty and what obligations it imposes on school administrators. The ins and outs of an actual Title IX case can get much more complex than this, and the best way to avoid dealing with that kind of trouble is to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Seeking Title IX advice in Connecticut from a knowledgeable Title IX lawyer can make a world of difference in both campus safety and future legal liability. Call Mark Sherman Law today to learn more, and click here to read verified reviews from past clients on our Avvo.com profile.