Advocate for Title IX Compliance 

© World Without Genocide 2023

Prior to Congress passing Title IX in 1972, no legal protections against sex-based discrimination in schools and universities existed.

Even with Title IX, discrimination based on sex continues today. 

The Department of Education requires that each school or school district must have a Title IX Coordinator – a resource person for students in cases of sex-based discrimination, sexual abuse, and misconduct. Schools must make their coordinator’s contact information readily available to students. 

Actions 

1. Contact your school board members

Time: 10 minutes 

Schools are legally required to make their coordinator’s contact information available on the school website, including the name of the coordinator, the location of their office, their phone number, and their email address. 

1. Search the school’s website for the Title IX coordinator’s name and contact information. 
2. If the coordinator’s information is not available, search the school’s website for your school board members’ contact information. 
3. Use or modify our email template to send to your school board members. 

2. Contact your university or college administrators

Time: 10 minutes 

Colleges and universities are legally required to make their coordinator’s contact information available on the school website, including the name of the coordinator, the location of their office, their phone number, and their email address. 

1. Search the college or university’s website for the Title IX coordinator’s name and contact information. 
2. If the coordinator’s information is not available, search the university or college’s website for the administrators’ contact information. The correct contact person may differ between schools. For example, the coordinator may or may not be part of the school’s Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. 
3. Use or modify our email template to send to your college or university administrators.
   

3. File a complaint

Time: about 20 minutes to file; timing for the full process may vary 

Title IX complaints for discrimination on the basis of sex can be filed by students, teachers, parents, or staff. They can be filed for situations occurring in K-12 or post-secondary institutions. 

1. If you have questions before (or after) filing a complaint, find contact information for your closest Office for Civil Rights office. 
2. File a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights within 180 calendar days after the discrimination. 
3. Refer to the Office for Civil Rights’ case process manual (PDF) for a detailed explanation on the process. 

Learn more 

• The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network — Chat online with a trained staff member who can provide confidential crisis support. 
• Resources for Survivors, Know Your IX — Information for survivors of sexual assault. 
• Resources for Friends and Family of Survivors, Know Your IX — Information for friends and families of survivors of sexual assault. 

Updated: September 2023.