While Title VII is the federal law that protects employees against sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace, Title IX is the federal law that protects students and faculty from such discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the educational setting. Under Title IX, students, teachers, and other faculty are protected from sex discrimination, harassment and retaliation in any educational institution which receives federal funding. Title IX requires any such institution to afford equal treatment in admissions, programs, counseling, financial aid, scholarships, insurance benefits, and many other aspects of education, regardless of gender.
Title IX 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 program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
At Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C., we advocate on behalf of students and faculty to ensure their rights are protected under Title IX. We have guided numerous students and faculty through their universities’ internal disciplinary procedures and have advised students and faculty members who have been targets of internal investigations discriminated against on the basis of their gender or retaliated against after they have spoken out against Title IX violations.
In addition, we also litigate on behalf of students and faculty under Title IX. In one of our more prominent cases, we co-counseled with noted civil rights attorneys Gloria Allred and Nathan Goldberg on behalf of five students and alumnae against a major university. Our Title IX lawyers have been fighting for the rights of students and faculty for many years and stand ready to be your advocate.
Who Does Title IX Protect?
In Connecticut and across the United States, Title IX protects any student and employee of any educational program which receives federal funding. Most educational institutions receive some form of federal funding and are therefore subject to Title IX.
Title IX protects both males and females – – including those persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender – – by requiring institutions to have policies in place that do not discriminate on the basis of sex.
Under Title IX, sex discrimination includes the following:
- Sexual assault
- Rape
- Sexual coercion
- Hostile environment based on sex
- Stalking
- Non-disclosure of known sexually STDs, such as AIDS or HIV
- Sexual exploitation
- Retaliation
When Your Title IX Rights Have Been Violated
If you believe your rights have been violated, it’s important to first raise the issue with the persons identified in your school’s handbook, most commonly either school administrators and/or the Title IX coordinator at the school. You can do this alone or you can enlist the aid of a skilled Title IX lawyer to guide you through this process. In either scenario, you should act as promptly as you can. If the school fails to act or provides an inadequate response to your concerns, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights or file a lawsuit in court against the educational institution. Should you elect the lawsuit route, the remedies you may seek include economic damages, damages for emotional distress, attorneys’ fees as well as requesting an injunction from the court to end the discriminatory behaviors.
Our Title IX Lawyers Can Help You
At Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C., we can deliver the experience and expertise that students, faculty, and staff need for their toughest fights. If you are seeking legal counsel to vindicate your rights under Title IX, contact our Title IX attorneys today for a consultation.
