The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reached an agreement with Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma to address Title IX violations related to sexual harassment. The violations stem from the district's inadequate handling of sexual harassment reports, which failed to meet the requirements set by the 2020 amendments to Title IX.
Title IX prohibits unwelcome conduct based on sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies a person equal access to educational programs. OCR's investigation revealed that Owasso Public Schools often handled these reports informally and inadequately over a three-year period. In several cases, district staff did not inform complainants about filing a Title IX complaint or provide supportive measures like counseling.
The investigation highlighted several incidents: a teacher grooming students on social media, repeated sexual remarks towards an elementary student, unwanted advances towards a sixth-grade student, and multiple instances of sex-based slurs and harassment. Notably, after a student's suicide following an altercation at Owasso High School in February 2024, the district still failed to comply with Title IX procedures.
OCR found that Owasso Public Schools conducted only two formal Title IX investigations in the past three years and had limited records of those cases. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon stated, “Owasso students and their families did not receive the fair and equitable review process from their school district guaranteed to them under Title IX; at worst, some students experienced discrimination Congress has long guaranteed they shall not endure at school.”
The resolution agreement requires the district to take several actions: contact parents about filing complaints and available support; issue anti-harassment statements; revise policies for compliance; provide training on Title IX; conduct climate surveys; review past complaints; audit future complaints for compliance; and develop a recordkeeping system.
The letter of resolution and agreement are accessible on the OCR website.
