Title IX - Sex Based Nondiscrimination Statute

WHAT IS TITLE IX?

Each student and employee has a right to learn and work in an environment free from unlawful discrimination. No District student or employee shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to harassment or other discrimination in any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other program or activity based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity or expression.Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is one of several federal and state anti-discrimination laws that ensure equality in education. Title IX prohibits discrimination, harassment, exclusion, denial, limitation, or separation based on sex or gender. Title IX applies to male and female students in any educational institution receiving federal funding.

Pregnant students and teen parents have a right to equal education, full participation, and to enroll in any school or program for which they would otherwise qualify at any stage of the pregnancy.  They have the right to remain in their regular or current school program, including elementary or secondary schools, honors and magnet programs, special education, and non-public school placements, alternative/options programs, migrant education, free and reduced lunch programs, and services for English Learners, and any others for which they are otherwise qualified. This would also include participation in the following: graduation, awards, ceremonies; field trips; student clubs, councils, after-school activities, and any other school-related programs. Students cannot legally be expelled, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or required to participate in school programs solely based on their pregnancy-related conditions or marital or parental status.

California Education Code Sections 200 through 282 and Los Angeles Unified School District Board Policy prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity or gender expression. Students have the right to fair and equitable treatment and shall not be discriminated against based on sex.  Students have the right to be provided with an equitable opportunity to participate in all academic and extracurricular activities, including athletics.  The law requires that every school district or institution have a Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager to whom concerns or complaints regarding sex discrimination can be made.Complaint Process

Students or parents/guardians should report their verbal or written Title IX complaint to the school administrator, the site’s Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager, or the District’s Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Student Civil Rights. Complainants have a right to a timely resolution of their complaints.If the complainant attempts to address concerns at the school site or Local District and is dissatisfied, the complainant may also file a written Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) complaint directly with the Office of Student Civil Rights. This will begin the investigation process, which must be completed within 60 days. An appeal of the Office of Student Civil Rights' findings may be made to the California Department of Education - Office of Educational Equity.