Title IX

What is Title IX?

Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states that:

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment means unwelcome behavior or conduct (physical, verbal, written, electronic) that is directed at someone because of that person’s sex or gender, and that meets any of the following definitions:

  1. “Quid Pro Quo” Harassment. A District employee explicitly or implicitly conditions the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the District on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct; OR
  2. Hostile Educational/Work Environment. Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the District’s education program or activity; OR
  3. Sexual assault. An offense that meets the definition any one of the following offenses:
    • Rape: the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus, with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person without consent of the victim;
    • Fondling: the touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification without consent of the victim;
    • Incest: sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law; or
    • Statutory rape: sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent; OR
  4. Stalking:
    • Purposefully engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person (“target”) that would cause a reasonable person to fear bodily injury to, or the death of, the target or a member of the target’s immediate family;
    • when the person (“stalker”) knows or should know that the target will be placed in reasonable fear of bodily injury to, or the death of, the target or a member of the target’s immediate family by the course of conduct; and
    • the stalker’s course of conduct induces fear in the target of bodily injury to, or the death of, the target or a member of the target’s immediate family; OR
  5. Dating Violence: violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of:
    • The length of the relationship.
    • The type of relationship.
    • The frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship; OR
  6. Domestic Violence: any felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed:
    • By a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim;
    • By a person with whom the victim shares a child in common;
    • By a person who is cohabiting with, or has cohabited with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
    • By a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the State of Iowa; or
    • By any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the State of Iowa.

Reporting a Complaint:

Any person who believes that they have been a victim of harassment by a student or employee of the district shall report the conduct immediately to a trusted employee, Title IX Coordinator(s), or law enforcement.

Failure to report an unwelcome behavior does not mean the behavior was welcome.

Any District employee who witnesses or becomes aware of sexual harassment has an affirmative obligation to report immediately to the District’s Title IX Coordinator(s) or to their building principal or immediate supervisor.  Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action against the employee, up to and including termination of employment.

Title IX Trainings

Title IX Resources

Title IX Coordinator
Karla Christian, Chief Human Resources Officer
2999 North 10th St.
Marion, IA 52302
kchristian@linnmar.k12.ia.us
319-447-3036