Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/524bv.pdf
Page Number: 352.0

524US2

Unit: $U87

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Cite as: 524 U. S. 274 (1998)

307

Ginsburg, J., dissenting

allegations, but by the allowable defenses; (2) this Court’s
pathmarkers are needed to afford guidance to lower courts
and school ofﬁcials responsible for the implementation of
Title IX.

In line with the tort law doctrine of avoidable conse-
quences, see generally C. McCormick, Law of Damages 127–
159 (1935), I would recognize as an afﬁrmative defense to a
Title IX charge of sexual harassment, an effective policy for
reporting and redressing such misconduct. School districts
subject to Title IX’s governance have been instructed by the
Secretary of Education to install procedures for “prompt and
equitable resolution” of complaints, 34 CFR § 106.8(b) (1997),
and the Department of Education’s Ofﬁce of Civil Rights has
detailed elements of an effective grievance process, with
speciﬁc reference to sexual harassment, 62 Fed. Reg. 12034,
12044–12045 (1997).

The burden would be the school district’s to show that
its internal remedies were adequately publicized and likely
would have provided redress without exposing the com-
plainant to undue risk, effort, or expense. Under such a re-
gime, to the extent that a plaintiff unreasonably failed to
avail herself of the school district’s preventive and remedial
measures, and consequently suffered avoidable harm, she
would not qualify for Title IX relief.