The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that the Green Bay Area Public School District in Wisconsin has entered into a resolution agreement to address compliance issues related to Title IX. This follows an OCR investigation which found that the district failed to complete investigations of reported sexual misconduct under Title IX, particularly when law enforcement was involved or after an employee resignation.
The OCR identified concerns with the district's documentation practices concerning reports of possible sexual harassment. Records indicated a lack of consistent response to substantiated sexual assaults and harassment allegations, failing to prevent recurrence, eliminate hostile environments, and remedy effects.
To resolve these issues, the district has agreed to several commitments:
- Ensuring policies prohibiting sex discrimination and grievance procedures align with Title IX.
- Proper notification of district employees, students, and parents about the Title IX coordinator.
- Implementation of a centralized recordkeeping system for all reports and investigations.
- Training for employees on responding to reports and complaints of sex discrimination.
- Providing annual training for students on recognizing and reporting sexual harassment.
- Conducting annual climate surveys regarding sexual harassment in schools.
Additionally, the district will report its responses to formal complaints during the 2024-2025 school year and potentially for 2025-2026 if requested by OCR.
"The Green Bay Area Public School District has now committed to take the steps necessary to effectively address sexual harassment in district schools," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. "OCR looks forward to active work with the district to ensure its full compliance with Title IX."
The resolution documents are available on OCR’s website.
