Understand Your Rights and Options

What is my school required to do?

In the United States (and Oregon specifically), there laws that protect your access to education, and provide you rights.

Your school must:

  • Employ a Title IX Coordinator. A Title IX Coordinator ensures that your school is in compliance with state and federal laws, and coordinates measures on campus to prevent and address sexual harassment and violence.

  • Notify you of all your rights and options, in writing and on the school’s website. This must be given to you when you enroll or start school, and if you report violence to the school. This notification document must include confidential and reporting options available in your area, your school’s complaint/reporting process and policies, and your rights under Title IX and state law.

  • Adopt and publish a grievance procedure outlining the complaint, investigation, and disciplinary process for addressing sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. This should be posted clearly on your school’s website.

  • Take your report seriously. Oregon law requires that your school accept all reports made to them.

  • Discuss supportive measures with you if you report violence. Federal law requires that your school’s Title IX coordinator meet with you and discuss “supportive measures”, or measures that can help you maintain access to your education (like moving residence hall rooms, adjusting class schedules, creating safety plans, etc.).

  • Post the information for your school’s Title IX coordinator publicly on the school website. This should include phone, email, and other contact information.

  • Respond promptly when receiving a complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence in order to remedy any hostile educational environment created by such behaviors.

  • Allow you to have a support person with you when participating in an investigation or hearing. This can be a parent, friend, advocate, or other trusted person in your life.

  • Offer prevention education, including bystander intervention education.

What is my school not allowed to do?

Under Oregon and federal law, schools may not:

  • Require or force you to participate in an investigation with your school

  • Require or force you to report to law enforcement*

  • Share information from your medical or counseling records, even if those records are from a student health or counseling center

  • Retaliate against you for filing a report

  • Require that you not discuss an investigation that you are participating in

Do Title IX protections apply to everyone?

Yes. All students, staff, and faculty in the United States are protected under Title IX. You have the same rights to have a safe learning environment as your peers.

I experienced sexual harassment, stalking, dating/domestic violence and/or sexual assault. What are my options?

Help is available. To speak with someone confidentially and learn more about your options, contact your local community advocacy agency (click here to find the agency near you).

You are the expert in your life and understand your needs best. After experiencing harm you can choose to do any or none of the following. Clicking on any of these options will bring you to a page that explains each option in more detail on our website: