This study examined the prevalence of student-to-student and staff-to-student sexual harassment in K-12 schools and school district compliance with Title IX using a retrospective survey of young adults. Participants (n = 511) were asked to describe their knowledge of policies and procedures regarding Title IX, the prevalence of sexual harassment,…

This paper compares two modern sanctuary institutions primarily construed for undocumented peoples in the U.S.; Christian-based church sanctuaries, and public-school districts that have declared themselves as 'sanctuaries.' Through examination of 10 church sanctuary resolutions and 10 school district resolutions from across the country, the study…

Transgender and nonbinary (collectively referred to here as "trans") students are ill-served by most school environments. They experience challenges trying to navigate institutions that, at best, are poorly designed to support them and that often work against them. Although some districts and states have developed laws and policies to…

This overview highlights that the U.S. Department of Education's Title IX regulations recognize that sexual harassment, including sexual assault, is unlawful sex discrimination. The Department previously addressed sexual harassment only through guidance documents, which are not legally binding and do not have the force and effect of law. Now, the…

Title IX coordinators play an essential role in ensuring that schools are free of gender-based harassment and discrimination; however, a recent survey of coordinators in California and Colorado shows that many of them are poorly equipped to do this work. In their study, Elizabeth J. Meyer and Andrea Somoza-Norton found that contact information for…

The 2017-18 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a survey of nearly all public schools and school districts in the United States. The CRDC has long provided important information used by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in its enforcement and monitoring activities. As a collection, the CRDC is an aggregate of…

Purpose: To help protect students from school employee sexual misconduct, this qualitative case study examines implementation of school employee sexual misconduct policies in five geographically and demographically diverse school districts that experienced incidents of school employee sexual misconduct in 2014. Method: Data were collected from 92…

This edition of "Equity Dispatch" poses the question: what is the responsibility of state education agencies (SEAs) to support local education agencies (LEAs) in centering educational equity? Here, we focus on the impact of SEAs, aiming to illuminate the ethical necessity of concurrent, coordinated, equity-focused efforts within and…

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination based on sex in any educational institution that receives financial assistance. This article focuses on Title IX as it applies to high school athletic programs by considering the trial of a high school district in California. A federal court found considerable inequalities between boys…

Sex discrimination in educational contexts is an ongoing problem despite the passage of Title IX in 1972. Many schools have not aligned their policies with new laws protecting students from bullying and harassment, and many professionals are unaware of their new obligations in regards to new state regulations. This article presents the findings…

As the focus on bullying has grown, attention to incidents of and concern about sexual harassment has diminished. It is easy to understand that sexual harassment can be a form of bullying, especially when it is used to intimidate, but it is also a form of discrimination prohibited by federal and state laws. Effective implementation and enforcement…

Bullying is a common occurrence in U.S.'s schools and is currently at the forefront of national attention. Unfortunately, students with disabilities are frequently the targets of peer-on-peer bullying. The purpose of this article is to examine the legal ramifications when students with disabilities are bullied in school settings. We address court…

Leaders must know how to use evidence to inform district decisions, particularly as decisions related to learning become standard practice, and provide professional development that builds the organizational capacity needed to support continuous and sustainable district improvement. Collaboration and implementation of a shared vision and mission…

The Title IX legislation of 1972 was established to promote gender equity among public entities (primarily schools) that utilize federal funding to support and sustain their operation. However, the United States (U.S.) Government developed new regulations for Title IX due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This change allowed public school districts…

No school board member, administrator, or teacher wants to see a student suffering from taunts of the student's peers, but with budget cutbacks, reductions in force, and increased class size, teachers and administrators are stretched too thin to easily identify, investigate, and remedy student-on-student harassment. But school districts must…