Title IX investigations help students face gender based discrimination and harassment. Maude Lamont is the Title IX coordinator and vice principal for Lincoln high school and she has supported affected students since 2019. An issue Lamont has aimed to fix is the unwillingness to come forward about abuse due to fear of what an investigation could entail.
“You don’t want to disempower by saying this is what you have to do,” said Lamont. “Every report gets addressed and the decision about whether or not to have a full investigation is made by the student whom the harm has been done towards.”
The investigation procedure begins with a report filed through Portland Public Schools (PPS). Once an experienced faculty member researches the case, a disciplinary hearing is held. However, due to potential biases, the final decision is made by officers trained in Title IX regulations.
If found guilty, the perpetrator is expelled from the district for a year. For the victim, faculty members will help and support them as they return to school.
“We have to very slowly, cautiously and thoughtfully reintegrate them into the community and it usually happens with a safety plan. If we have any information that this child may be in danger,” said O’banion.
While some violations require a full investigation, most put the decision in the hands of the victim. What all reports do require, though, is that faculty members establish protections for the person harmed.
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) advocates for Title IX by supplying resources and equity to prevent violations from occurring. Current Assistant Executive Director of OSAA, K.T. Emerson has focused on student conduct with the support of the association’s Student Advisory Committee.
“One area with the student advisory committee that we’ve talked about considering spectator conduct is student sections,” said Emerson. “We can understand from that student perspective what those influences, both positive and negative, are on the students.”
A point of discussion is that Title IX violations committed before turning 18 will not go on records, but once in college, punishments are far steeper.
“You have a right to go to high school, college is a privilege under the law,” said O’banion. “We’ve expelled students all the time for Title IX violations […] and the justification for doing so is so people can’t attend a university, hurt a bunch of people and just transfer to a different one.”