Title IX Prohibits Sexual Harassment and
Sexual Violence in Public Schools

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ("Title IX"), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. All public and private elementary and secondary schools, school districts, colleges, and universities (hereinafter "schools") receiving any Federal funds must comply with Title IX. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.

Federal law requires that schools have and distribute a policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex and acts of sexual violence. In compliance with Title IX, it is the policy of Mountain Brook City Schools to maintain a learning and work environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disability. The Mountain Brook Board of Education adopted the policy that defines sexual harassment, and outlines the policies and procedures that the District follows in identifying, investigating, and responding to allegations of sexual harassment.

It is the policy of the Board to maintain an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and, harassment on the basis of sex. The Mountain Brook Board of Education (the “Board”) does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates. The Board is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq.) and its regulations (34 C.F.R. § 106.8) not to discriminate in such a manner. The requirement not to discriminate in the education program or activity extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the Board may be referred to the Board’s Title IX Coordinators, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education, or both.  Retaliation against individuals who file complaints of alleged sexual harassment or those who assist in the investigation of complaints of alleged sexual harassment is expressly prohibited.