Understanding the Law - Title IX Civil Rights Violations

Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that “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.” Sadly, the civil rights of students are violated every day, even here in Chicago. Northwestern University has recently come under fire for such violations, according to CBS Chicago. A student was sexually assaulted in her dorm room in 2015 by an alumni. Despite going to the authorities, no charges were pressed due to lack of evidence. She had to pay out of pocket to switch dorm rooms and change classes, as her professors were unwilling to work with her in order to meet deadlines for papers and exams. Without anywhere to turn for support, she filed a Title IX civil rights complaint against the university.


To What and Whom Does Title IX Apply?

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces, among other things, Title IX, which was adopted in 1972 to ensure that women were given the same rights and opportunities as men within any federally funded education program. As such, Title IX applies to 16,500 local school districts and 7,000 postsecondary educational institutions. It also applies to for-profit schools, vocational rehabilitation agencies, charter schools, libraries, education agencies among all 50 states and territories of the U.S., and even museums. Anyone who attends an educational program, such as the examples listed above, is protected under Title IX from sexuall discrimination and has the right to seek legal action if their rights are violated. Some of the following are education administrative obligations and key components that must be addressed by Title IX in order to prevent sexual discrimination:

• Sex-based harassment;
• Athletics;
• Admissions;
• Recruitment;
• Counseling;
• Financial assistance;
• Treatment of pregnant and parenting students;
• Single-sex education;
• Employment;
• Discipline; and
• Much more.

Simply stated, if women are not given the same treatment and opportunities as men, their rights under Title IX may have been violated. Moreover, retaliation against an individual for standing up to an unlawful practice or what they believed to be an unlawful practice, under Title IX, is strictly prohibited, similar to the laws of workplace retaliation under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Office for Civil Rights, under the Department of Education, investigates and helps to resolve complaints and allegations of sexual discrimination. However, if your civil rights have been violated in any way, we strongly urge you to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

It is not necessary to file a complaint with the OCR in order to file a lawsuit against the negligent party itself. We can help you achieve a sense of justice and repair damages caused to you through financial compensation. If in any way your civil rights were violated under the protection of Title IX, please do not hesitate to contact the experienced Chicago civil rights attorneys of Barney and Hourihane at 312-854-0906 today for immediate assistance.