Many students sexually harassed at school, study finds.About 63 percent of Title IX cases filed with the U.S. Department of Education involve sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. . This is according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a recent study that found that 54 percent of students who complain of sexual harassment at school are harassed by faculty and other school staff. The study, conducted by the American Association of University Women ''This article or section is being rewritten at The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. (AAUW AAUW abbr. American Association of University Women ) Legal Advocacy Fund, found that enforcement of Title IX by schools and government officials is often lacking. It also noted that the requirement that every federally funded educational institution establish grievance procedures A term used in Labor Law to describe an orderly, established way of dealing with problems between employers and employees. Through the grievance procedure system, workers' complaints are usually communicated through their union to management for consideration by the employer. for addressing sex discrimination is "widely ignored." Jeffrey Thaler THALER. The name of a coin. The thaler of Prussia and of the northern states of Germany is deemed as money of account, at the custom-house, to be of the value of sixty-nine cents. Act of May 22, 1846. 2. , a Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a 2004 population of 63,882. Portland is Maine's cultural, social and economic capital. Tourists are drawn to Portland's historic Old Port district along Portland Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Fore River and part , plaintiff attorney who handles school sexual harassment claims, said, "The study's findings confirm that sexual harassment is not just a problem for adults in the workplace, but also a serious concern for students, especially given the lack of effective grievance procedures at many schools." The researchers analyzed a sample of sex discrimination cases filed with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights--the primary Title IX enforcement agency--from 1993 to 1997. They found that 70 percent of complaints filed by elementary and secondary school students and 59 percent filed by higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. students involved sexual harassment. Patty McCabe, director of the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund in Washington, D.C., said, "Parents need to be talking with school officials and asking what policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental exist at that particular institution. In addition, information needs to be posted so everyone is aware of what actions violate Title IX and what they can do if violations occur in their classroom." Further findings discredit the popular myth that Title IX protects only women and girls. According to McCabe, male students filed 29 percent of the sex discrimination complaints. Elementary and secondary school boys most often complained of unfair discipline, including harsher and higher rates of punishment. Male college students most often cited discrimination in admissions and financial aid decisions, standardized tests, and scholarship awards. Female students at all levels of education most often complained of sexual harassment. Recommendations The report said that equity in the classroom can be ensured and called for help from schools and the Department of Education. Among the recommendations: * Schools need to understand their Title IX responsibilities and implement practices and procedures mandated by law. * The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights must improve its investigation and resolution procedures and hold schools accountable for noncompliance noncompliance failure of the owner to follow instructions, particularly in administering medication as prescribed; a cause of a less than expected response to treatment. noncompliance . * The agency should work with Congress to require schools and universities to collect employment, academic, and discipline records to facilitate investigations. * The Office for Civil Rights should withhold federal funding from schools that do not comply with Title IX. "The Department of Education cannot tackle this issue alone," McCabe said. "If we want to ensure classrooms are free of gender bias, schools and universities need to help with implementing practices and procedures and Congress will have to look at improved funding for Title IX legislation." A copy of the 60-page report, A License for Bias: Sex Discrimination, Schools, and Title IX, is available from the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund for $12.95 plus tax and shipping. Call (800) 225-9998, ext. 530, or order online at www.aauw.org. |
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