Title IX & Affirmative Action

Title IX Non-Discrimination Protection

The Board of Education takes seriously its obligations to ensure that no student or employee suffers discrimination on the basis of sex, as defined in Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Title IX is a federal law enforced through the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.  No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.  Title IX includes the following: prohibition of sex discrimination, harassment, athletics, employment, pregnant students, and recruitment, admission, and programs.

Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment, which is defined as unwelcome conduct that a reasonable person would determine to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the District’s education program or activity; and, includes sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, as defined by applicable law.

Roles and Responsibilities:

An Affirmative Action Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, and disability, while a Title IX Coordinator specifically focuses on enforcing compliance with Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities; essentially, the Affirmative Action Officer has a broader scope encompassing all protected characteristics, whereas the Title IX Coordinator solely deals with gender-based discrimination in education settings. 

Key differences: 

• Focus of Compliance:
  An Affirmative Action Officer monitors compliance across all protected characteristics under equal opportunity laws, while a Title IX Coordinator only focuses on sex discrimination. 
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• Scope of Investigations:
  An Affirmative Action Officer may investigate complaints related to any form of discrimination, while a Title IX Coordinator primarily investigates complaints related to sex discrimination within an educational setting. 
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• Reporting Structure:
  Affirmative Action Officer has a wider reporting responsibility and provides oversight with personnel.  The Title IX Coordinator provides oversight with student athletics, clubs, etc.

For more information, please refer to MBOE policy 2224.1

To report Title IX misconduct, please contact:

Mr. Justin Bloss, Title IX Coordinator, Dean of Students
[email protected]

Mrs. Cara Nickas, Athletic Director
[email protected]

Ms. Norma Tursi, Affirmative Action Officer
[email protected]