law enforcement

although know your ix’s resources have been written with the guidance of legal experts, we are not lawyers, and the information on this website does not constitute legal advice. we encourage you to contact a lawyer to discuss your complaint or suit.

remember: neither you nor your school needs to file a police report for you to get supportive measures under title ix. title ix is a civil rights law, not a criminal law. that means you have a right to supportive measures under title ix, regardless of whether anyone files a police report. and under a federal law called the clery act, you can get accommodations for sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking regardless of whether you report it to campus police or local police. note: many employees at your school are “mandatory reporters.” this means they do have to tell the police if you are younger than 18 and report sexual assault, child sexual abuse, dating violence, or domestic violence.

know your ix believes that mandated reporting is not the same as supportive measures. to learn more about the potential harms of mandatory reporting and what you can do, go to www.mandatoryreportingisnotneutral.com. 

remote crisis response for youth activists: this guide is a compilation of resources that are more vs. less likely to involve law enforcement in their response. 

filing a title ix lawsuit

legal support

• legal network for gender equity is run by our partners at the national women’s law center. once you fill out the intake form, they’re able to match you with low cost or pro bono lawyers in your area. they usually take 2-4 days to respond. if you’re comfortable sharing your name, reach out to knowyourix@advocatesforyouth.org, and we can send an email to our contact at lnge to flag your intake form.
• check out local or state-based legal resources in your area, which may offer pro bono or low-cost legal services.

title ix case technical assistance

• for folks experiencing defamation and retaliation: survivors speaking out toolkit
• for folks with questions about supportive measures that they can get from their school after experiencing violence and/or harassment: supportive measures toolkit
• for school title ix violations: filing an ocr complaint resource guide

filing an ocr complaint

know your ix youth activists created this resource guide to filing a complaint through the department of education’s office for civil rights. this guide explains what an ocr complaint is, walks through the process for filing a complaint, and highlights what students and advocates should know about reporting their case. the guide also includes frequently asked questions and a detailed timeline of the ocr complaint process.

the clery act

the clery act was named after jeanne clery, who was raped and murdered in her dorm room by a fellow student on april 5, 1986. her parents championed the jeanne clery disclosure of campus security policy and crime statistics act (clery act) in her memory. this act is a federal law that requires colleges to report crimes that occur “on campus” and school safety policies. this information is available each year in an annual security report, which can be found on your school’s website. the clery act also requires schools to send timely warnings to the school community when there are known risks to public safety on campus.

the clery act also contains the campus sexual assault victim’s bill of rights, which requires colleges to disclose educational programming, campus disciplinary process, and victim rights regarding sexual violence complaints. the clery act was expanded in 2013 by the campus save act, which broadened clery requirements to address all incidents of sexual violence (sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.)

for questions about whether your school is in compliance with the clery act, or to discuss your complaint with a lawyer, know your ix recommends reaching out to the clery center.