Preventing Sexual Misconduct (Title IX)

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funds. Sex discrimination includes sexual violence and gender-based harassment.

The protections of Title IX extend to all academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic and other programs of a school, whether those programs take place on campus, in a school facility, at an off-campus class, seminar or event that the school sponsors, or elsewhere. Title IX protects both male and female students and faculty and staff from sexual harassment by any school employees, non-employee third parties and other students.

Since 2011, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has conducted what some have seen as a crackdown on Title IX compliance that has resulted in settlements in several campus sexual-harassment cases. In the wake of those settlements, which required the colleges involved to make extensive changes to their Title IX policies and procedures, OCR issued a "Dear Colleague" letter to remind schools of their responsibilities in handling sexual-harassment claims — and particularly allegations of sexual violence — under Title IX. Those responsibilities include adopting and publishing Title IX sexual-harassment grievance procedures, designating Title IX coordinators to investigate complaints, and training staff, faculty, coaches, security and resident advisors on Title IX, among others.

In March 2013, President Obama signed the Campus SaVE Act into law. The measure expands the categories of reportable "hate crimes" and requires colleges and universities to include specific information in their annual security reports and provide students who report victimization with their written rights. The White House has also assembled a Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault that has released a report recommending best practices for colleges and universities to prevent and address sexual assault and sexual harassment.

The topics covered in the course include:

• Reasons for concern
• Anti-harassment laws and policies
• Campus SaVE Act
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence
• Types of harassment
• Conduct to be avoided
• Reporting sexual harassment
• Bystander intervention
• Responding to complaints
• Effects of trauma
• Avoiding retaliation
• Maintaining a respectful work environment
• There is also a 10-minute training course for students that covers the following topics: Sexual violence, Quid pro quo, Hostile environment, When to intervene, If it happens to you