Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs of any kind. It demands not only equal opportunity for participation in sports, but also intolerance of sexual harassment and sexual violence. Yet violations happen at an alarming rate – in all kinds of schools and all kinds of communities. The tragedy of assault against students is compounded by damage to schools and programs that lose funding and other support because they fail to deal effectively with these issues.

ARD does not and will not give legal advice on complying with Title IX or handling sexual harassment and violence complaints. But we can help you:

1. Draft or review policies, procedures, and guidelines to assure user friendly language easily understood by students, staff, and parents.
2. Develop a staff handbook and a student handbook so all parties know what the rules are, what the expectations are, and what the consequences are.
3. Train staff, students, and parents in working with policies, i.e., reporting sexual harassment, implementing grievance procedures, and assuring no retaliation.
4. Design a system for reporting and tracking both incidents and remedies.
5. Implement and conduct climate surveys to determine the extent of sexual harassment in your organization.
6. Create a community-based anti-harassment task force of key stakeholders to oversee ongoing efforts to end harassment.