**NEXT STEPS IN OCR’S  COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF TITLE IX ACTIONS: A NEW Q&A AND THE PUBLIC HEARING  TRANSCRIPT**

##### **July 20, 2021**

 

As the Office for Civil  Rights continues our comprehensive review of the U.S. Department of Education’s  actions under Title IX, the landmark law that prohibits discrimination based on  sex in our nation’s schools, we are pleased to share several recent  steps—including two taken today. 

With each new step, we are  guided by a commitment to proceeding with thoughtful urgency on two Title IX  priorities set out in President Biden’s executive orders on guaranteeing  all students an educational environment free from sex discrimination,  including sexual violence, and preventing  and combating discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.   

That is, we recognize that we  must both move quickly to protect the rights of all students to be free from  sex discrimination and take time to listen to and learn from those most  impacted by the law.

Last month, OCR convened the  first-ever virtual national public hearing focused on strengthening the  Department’s enforcement of Title IX, with live comments from over 280  students, teachers, professors, school administrators and leaders, advocates,  parents, and other members of the public from throughout the United States, in  addition to many written comments. We are grateful for all who participated.  Thank you for sharing your insights, expertise, and deeply personal  experiences. 

Today, OCR took these  additional steps:            - Q&A on Title IX.  OCR released a  Questions and Answers resource  explaining how OCR interprets schools’ obligations  under the 2020 amendments to the Title IX regulation, 				    - The        2020 amendments remain in effect while OCR’s comprehensive review of        Title IX actions is ongoing, and the Q&A aims to assist schools,        students, and others by highlighting areas in which schools may have        discretion in their procedures for responding to reports of sexual harassment. 
  - The        Q&A includes an appendix that responds to schools’ requests for        examples of Title IX procedures that may be adaptable to their own        circumstances and helpful in implementing the 2020 amendments. 
- Title IX Public Hearing       transcript.  We are also pleased to share       the  transcript  of OCR’s public hearing, which captures in detail the invaluable and often       moving testimony provided by participants from June 7 – 11, 2021. The       hearing brought together an extraordinary range of voices and views from       across the United States and Puerto Rico, and the comments, both live and       written, will help inform our future work to safeguard the protections of       Title IX. We heard directly from the public about what matters most to       you—your experiences, your concerns, and your opinions—and that testimony       is now available for all to read. 

Today’s actions continue  OCR’s efforts to ensure that schools are providing students with educational  environments free from sex discrimination, including sexual violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender  identity. We are also glad to highlight  here the Biden-Harris Administration’s important steps to advance equality for transgender  Americans, including a new White House Toolkit on Transgender Equality that includes a resource sheet from the Department of  Education on Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools, along with resources from  several other agencies. We also want to highlight OCR’s page on Resources for  LGBTQI+ Students, where these resources, as well as others, can be found.

Again, my heartfelt thanks to  everyone who contributed to the Title IX public hearing. Your input will help  to ensure that all students can learn and thrive, free from  discrimination.

 

Suzanne B. Goldberg				  Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights				  Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Operations and  Outreach				  Office for Civil Rights				  U.S. Department of Education