Attorney for High School Title IX Violations

Title IX is a piece of far-reaching civil rights legislation that works to protect children from sex-based discrimination in school.  Many people immediately associate Title IX with school sports, but it has broader protections that make it illegal to discriminate “on the basis of sex” in a number of areas.

If your child is a high school student who has faced sex or gender discrimination at school, contact an attorney to learn more about filing a Title IX claim.  Our Title IX discrimination lawyer, Andrew Shubin, may be able to take your case and help seek justice and compensation for you or your child.  For help advocating for your civil rights, contact The Law Office of Andrew Shubin today at (814) 826-3586.

Types of Discrimination Covered by Title IX

Title IX explicitly protects against discrimination that occurs “on the basis of sex.”  Sex discrimination refers to any denial of funding or opportunities, or unequal protections or outcomes for students of different sexes.

Although these protections explicitly apply to sex discrimination, they are often used to protect against gender discrimination as well.  Although “gender” and “gender presentation” are not explicitly listed in Title IX, discrimination based on gender or gender presentation is typically based on expectations about sex.  Because of this, our attorneys will also work to fight cases of gender discrimination in school.

Title IX Violations Against High School Students

Title IX applies broadly to any school or educational institution that receives federal funding.  Nearly every high school, as well as most colleges, receives federal funding of some kind.  Because of this, this federal legislation can work to help protect students and vindicate their rights regardless of what state you are in or what school you go to.

Title IX violations against high school students can vary greatly.  Most people associate Title IX with sports, and Title IX does popularly apply to female students who were disadvantaged or treated differently than male students in athletics.  However, these rules apply far more broadly and protect high school students from many types of sex discrimination.  The following are some examples of discrimination that is illegal under Title IX:

• Sexist or discriminatory school rules and policies
• Unfair sex discrimination in dress codes
• Discrimination in bathroom or locker room usage
• Unequal promotion of gendered school sports
• Unequal funding and opportunities for gendered school sports
• Student sexual harassment and sexual assault
• Use or tolerance of sexist or abusive gendered language
• Discriminatory access or opportunities for clubs, extracurriculars, activities, and internships on the basis of sex

If you believe that you or your child faced sex discrimination or were made to feel uncomfortable or lesser because of your sex or gender, talk to an attorney about vindicating your rights.

Does Title IX Apply to Private High Schools?

Private high schools often receive the majority of their funding from tuition, alumni donations, and other fundraising projects.  However, most private schools do still receive some level of federal funding, whether that be through grants or other funds that are generally available to educational institutions.

Whether you attend a private school, prep school, charter school, Catholic school, parochial school, religious school, or another type of private educational institution, Title IX applies to that school if it receives federal funding.  If you have any doubts about whether Title IX applies to your school, talk to an attorney to investigate the school’s funding and Title IX’s application to it.

In some cases, religious schools are given exceptions to Title IX coverage because of the institution’s religious doctrines.  However, this usually does not alleviate a religious school’s duty to treat students fairly in non-religious circumstances, such as in general access to educational programs.

Additionally, many private schools are single-sex schools.  In most cases, failing to admit a female student to an all-boys school or failing to admit a male student to an all-girls school is not seen as a Title IX violation.  However, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other issues at a single-gender school might still violate Title IX and allow a student to file a claim.

Does Title IX Apply to High School Athletics?

High School athletics are one of the biggest areas where Title IX is commonly applied.  Most high school sports are separated by sex, putting male and female students on separate teams (e.g., boy’s and girl’s track teams) or giving them separate sports altogether (e.g., baseball and softball).  There are many ways in which high school girls’ sports teams and programs are disadvantaged, whether through funding, promotion, opportunities, or enforcement of policies.  Many victims of this kind of sex discrimination can file Title IX complaints and lawsuits to seek justice for this discrimination.

Title IX also applies to trans students participating in sports and other activities in their schools.  Changing rooms and locker rooms designated by gender can be problematic for trans students who may have their rights violated by such discriminatory policies.  Moreover, many students face sex discrimination by being forced onto teams that do not conform to their gender identity, or they face sex discrimination and bullying surrounding team activities.

Call Our High School Title IX Violation Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you have a high-school-aged child whom you believe was subjected to sex discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other discrimination or issues “on the basis of sex,” contact an attorney right away.  The Law Office of Andrew Shubin’s Title IX lawyer for high school students offers free legal consultations to help you and your family learn more about filing a Title IX complaint and filing a lawsuit for Title IX sex discrimination.  To set up a free legal consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (814) 826-3586.