Opinion ID: 2735154
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Discriminatory Harassment

Text: Title VI protects students from discrimination only if it is based on race, color, or national origin, and Title IX only if based on sex. As noted above, there were some explicit references to Doe’s Russian origin. Regarding sex, in the context of adult employment, we have held that gendered words like bitch and whore, even if used to describe both women and men, can be strong evidence that the harassment at issue is on the basis of sex. See Passananti v. Cook County, 689 F.3d 655, 665–67 (7th Cir. 2012) (reversing summary judgment for employer because supervisor’s repeated use of “bitch” to refer to plaintiff could support finding of sexually hostile environment). The issue is more subtle in the school context because “at least early on, students are still learning how to interact appropriately with their peers.” Davis, 526 U.S. at 651. Children are often less aware of the import of their words and actions. The district court concluded that no reasonable jury could find that any of the bullying Doe suffered was based on her national origin or gender. We are not as convinced, but we need not resolve the issue because, as explained below, Doe’s claims fail for other reasons.