**OCR’s VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING ON TITLE IX: June 7 – 11, 2021**

##### **June 7, 2021**

 

This week—June 7 to June 11, 2021—marks  the first-ever virtual public hearing on Title IX to be convened by the U.S.  Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As we work to ensure  that all students have access to education programs and activities free from  sex discrimination, we look forward to the diverse views, experiences, and  insights from students, educators, and other members of the public.

You can visit the hearing webpage to listen to live comments throughout the week. Access to American Sign  Language interpretation, closed captioning, and CART services is available from the hearing  webpage throughout the hearing. We also welcome your written comments at T9PublicHearing@ed.gov, following the guidelines in the hearing notice.

The hearing takes place on the following  dates and times:

- June 7,       2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET
- June 8,       2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET
- June 9,       2021, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., ET
- June       10, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., ET
- June       11, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET

This hearing is part of OCR's  comprehensive review of the Department's existing regulations and other actions  related to Title IX to implement President Biden's March 8 *Executive Order** on Guaranteeing an Educational  Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation  or Gender Identity.* It  is also a step toward fulfilling the directives of President Biden's *Executive Order** on Preventing and Combating  Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation*.

OCR has asked,  in particular, for comments on steps the Department can take to:

- Ensure that  schools are providing students with educational environments free from  discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual  assault and other forms of sexual violence;   
- Ensure that  schools have grievance procedures that provide for the fair, prompt, and  equitable resolution of reports of sexual harassment and other sex  discrimination, cognizant of the sensitive issues that are often involved;  and   
- Address  discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in educational  environments.   

Input from the hearing will also support  the Department's commitment to ensuring equal and nondiscriminatory access to  education for all students, from pre-K-12 to postsecondary education, including  in extracurricular activities and other educational settings. OCR also  anticipates publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the  Department’s Title IX regulations, which will provide students, educators, and  others with an additional opportunity to share insights and views through the  formal notice-and-comment period.

As Secretary Cardona has said, "The  Department is committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn,  grow, and thrive in and out of the classroom, including in extracurricular  activities and other educational settings." 

We look forward to your participation  and thank you for your interest in ensuring equal educational opportunity for  all students, including educational environments that are free from sex  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