Title IX is a crucial legal protection that helps prevent discrimination against students. College is often the time when people get to know themselves and explore their identities. Unfortunately, some people use their time in college as an excuse to become violent or abusive toward others.
Certain students, including female students, could be at increased risk of sexual violence and misconduct on college campuses. Your college has an obligation to proactively defend you against sexual violence and hostile environments.
What constitutes a hostile sexual environment?
Perhaps the male members of a team that trains and competes during the same season as your sport frequently catcall you while you use the facilities or hang around the locker room entrance and make disgusting statements. Perhaps the abuse is worse than that, involving threats or unwanted touching.
Especially in circumstances where the athletic department or individuals working at your student housing facility on campus do not reprimand or make a report of your complaints against a student behaving an in an unwanted or aggressive sexual manner toward you, their failure to act could be a violation of your rights under Title IX.
You may have credible claims that the school has failed to protect you from that hostile sexual environment and ongoing harassment. As in any case involving allegations of abuse and misconduct, you’ll have a better time proving your case when you keep thorough and accurate records of the misconduct you endured and attempts to secure assistance from the school that went unacknowledged.
Bringing a Title IX claim against the school for failing to protect you from sexual abuse on campus could not only resolve your situation but also protect other students in the future.