What is Title IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Title IX requires schools to take steps to prevent and remedy two forms of sex-based discrimination
- Sexual harassment and sexual violence, which is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual violence is a form of sexual harassment. Sexual violence, which is non-consensual physical conduct of a sexual nature. A number of different acts fall into the category of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse, and sexual coercion.
- Gender-based harassment, which is unwelcome conduct based on a person’s actual or perceived sex, including harassing conduct based on a person’s gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transition, or nonconformity with sex stereotypes.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces, among other statutes, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
OCR Title IX & Sex Discrimination