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What is Title IX, and what measures of support are you entitled to under it?

By Gigi Weislogel, Education Intern, August 12, 2024

In the most basic language, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972* protects all people from discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity, in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. (1) Title IX was recently amended, as of August 1, 2024, to expand the language of the original act, now protecting students beyond simply the prohibition of discrimination based on sex.

Title IX establishes that no one can be excluded from any educational program, denied academic benefits, programs, training, activities, or be discriminated against based on their sex, pregnancy status, gender identity, or sexual orientation in any academic program financially assisted by the federal government. (2)

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex including sex-based harassment. This amendment protects citizens from all forms of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking which all fall under sex-based harassment. Any form of discrimination that limits a person’s ability to benefit from a program or activity is prohibited under Title IX. (3)

If you or someone you know has experienced sex-based discrimination and you wish to seek help, your school is required by law to provide you with supportive measures. 

There are many situations that qualify for support under Title IX. You may have been pressured by a school employee to engage in sexual acts in return for good grades, or pressured to participate in sexual acts avoid receiving bad grades. You may have been experienced sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking. Or, you may have experienced sexual harassment that has caused you to miss class, quit an activity, discourage you from school work, or lowered your grades. (4) These all qualify as sexual harassment and requires your school to provide you with help.

It is important to note that while Title IX is private, it is not confidential. If you wish to seek support but do not want to start a formal Title IX investigation, you can submit a confidential report by stating that you have been sexually harassed in one of the ways mentioned above and would like support, but that you are making a confidential report and do not want a Title IX investigation. (5)

Keep in mind that your school may still be legally obligated to investigate your report, regardless of your wishes, if you are under 18, or if your situation includes certain factors, like sexual harassment by an employee.

Getting help from a trusted faculty member, staff member, or RA can be very helpful and may feel less scary than talking with a Title IX officer. However it is important to know that many employees are “mandatory reporters”, meaning that they are required to report cases of sexual harassment depending on your state’s child abuse reporting laws. If you attend a college or university in Tompkins County, here is how to find out who you can talk to confidentially on your campus.

If you have experienced sexual harassment and are unsure of what to do, who to tell, or if you want to seek support from your school, you can always call the Advocacy Center 24 Hour Hotline: 607-277-5000. Because the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County is a non-profit organization, advocates that you talk to are not legally required to report your experience to anyone. Not to your family, not to your campus, not even to the police. Our advocates can talk you through any situation, give you accurate and specific information and help you move forward with any path you choose. You are not alone. 

For more information and a step by step guide for reporting discrimination to your school’s Title IX office, check out Frequently Asked Questions on Title IX and Supportive Measures for Higher Education Students created by Know Your Title IX and the National Women’s Law Center.