What is Title IX?

Title IX is a federal civil right that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Title IX of Educational Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seqprovides: “No person in the United States shall be 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.”

Under Title IX, sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and sexual violence. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature and can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Examples of sexual violence include attempted or completed rape or sexual assault, as well as stalking.

Who must comply with Title IX?

Under Title IX, any school that receives Federal financial assistance must comply with Title IX. This includes elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, school districts, proprietary schools colleges and universities. Schools are required to promptly investigate any claims of sexual harassment or sexual assault and act accordingly to protect students on campus.

Do I have to be on campus to be protected by Title IX?

You do not have to be on school grounds to be protected by Title IX.

Does Title IX apply only to sexual harassment committed by teachers and educators?

Title IX also protects students who may be sexually harassed off school grounds, outside a school’s education program or activity, if the harasser was a fellow student.

It also applies to sexual harassment of a student that may be committed by a school employee or a non-employee third party such as a visiting speaker or athlete.

What are my remedies if I think my Title IX civil rights have been violated?

Sexual assault is rampant on college campuses. In fact, one in four women are sexually assaulted during their time in college. If you are the victim of sexual assault or rape, you may feel powerless, vulnerable and afraid to speak out. The lawyers at the Genie Harrison Law Firm can consult with you on all issues of sexual and inappropriate conduct which violate your civil rights.

The sexual assault lawyers at the Genie Harrison Law Firm provide aggressive representation in the following practice areas:

• Sexual harassment at school or in the workplace
• Sexual assault at school or in the workplace
• Sexual abuse in youth organizations
• Sexual abuse in religious organizations
• Adult survivors of abuse
• Rape

Genie Harrison is a survivor of sexual assault, and she understands the pain that victims of sexual crimes may feel.

Genie understands that a lawsuit can be a powerful catalyst for healing and achieving a sense of justice, but that it can also bring painful memories, fears and feelings to the surface. Genie Harrison is here to support you through the entire process, and to help you take back your power.

Call (213) 805-5301 to schedule a consultation with Genie Harrison if you are a victim of a sexual crime. Se habla Español.

If the sexual harassment is physical – if unwanted touching or rape is occurring – we strongly recommend that an immediate police report be made. Find your nearest police or sheriff’s station and make a report.

Here are some police departments in the Los Angeles area:

Los Angeles P.D.: www.lapdonline.org
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept.: www.lasd.org;
Glendale P.D.: www.glendaleca.gov
Culver City P.D.: www.culvercitypd.org
Santa Monica P.D.: www.santamonicapd.org
Beverly Hills P.D.: www.beverlyhills.org

If your police department is not listed above, CLICK HERE > for a full list of local municipal police departments, with links to their web pages and phone numbers.

If you have been the victim of unwanted touching or sexual assault at work, it is incredibly important that you obtain treatment from your personal physician and emotional support through individual and/or group therapy.

We understand how difficult it can be to reach out for help, to talk about what happened, and to experience the feelings that come with being a sexual assault survivor. The first step to healing is getting help.

Sexual assault resources that can help include the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, also called RAINN Hotline: (800) 656-4673.
CLICK HERE > for more information.

What should I do if I think I am being sexually harassed?

First, tell the harasser to stop if you feel it is possible to do so. If not, that’s totally understandable. We have been in both situations – where we were able to confront the harasser and also when we were not able to confront the harasser – so we truly understand.

We offer a few words of support to those who are considering telling the harasser to stop — we know that it is scary and can be really hard to do this. But you have the right to tell the harasser that what he or she is doing is wrong.

If you can have someone who will support you there when you tell him or her to stop, that could be very helpful, both emotionally and in the future for corroboration that you told him or her to stop. If you are not able to have a witness present, send him or her an email confirming that you told him or her to stop, or at least send the email to yourself detailing what you said, when, where and what he or she said.