Title IX: Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Non-Discrimination

Know your rights! Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. It also addresses sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, and sexual violence. Under Title IX, schools are legally required to respond and remedy hostile educational environments. 

Use our Title IX information and resources to educate yourself about your rights to an education free from sexual violence


Title IX (20 U.S.C. § 1681(a))

Knowing and Understanding the Law

Use the below explanations to help you better understand the law and what rights Title IX protects.

Consent is clear, knowing and voluntary. Consensual sexual activity happens when each partner willingly chooses to participate. Openly communicating about expectations and desires is critical to obtaining consent. Consent can only be given by a person who has control of his/her mental and physical capabilities. A person is unable to give consent if they are asleep, drugged, intoxicated, unconscious, a minor, mentally impaired, or incapacitated.

Sex without consent is sexual assault. Use of force, intimidation, or coercion is a denial of a person’s right to freely give his/her consent. Previous relationships or prior consent cannot imply consent to future sexual acts. Even if someone has agreed to engage sexually, that person has the right to withdraw their consent at any time.

Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that may include:

  • Sexual violence
  • Sexual advances
  • Requests for sexual favors
  • Indecent exposure; and/or
  • Other verbal, non-verbal or physical unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.

The conduct must be sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it could be considered by a reasonable person and is, in fact, considered by the individual, to have limited his/her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the District.

Sexual discrimination involves treating someone, whether a student or an employee, unfavorably because of that person’s sex. This may include sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Sexual assault is a physical sexual act (such as unwelcome sexual touching, sexual battery or rape) perpetrated against an individual without consent, or against an individual who is incapable of given consent due to that individual’s use of drugs or alcohol, or due to a physical or mental disability, or due to age.