The Rhinelander School District in Wisconsin has reached a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education following an investigation into allegations of sex-based harassment. The investigation was prompted by a Title IX complaint, which claimed that the district had discriminated against a nonbinary student who had experienced harassment during the 2021-2022 school year.
According to the Office of Civil Rights, students targeted and bullied the nonbinary student based on their gender identity. Teachers also repeatedly failed to use the student’s preferred name and pronouns, further exacerbating the situation. The investigation revealed that the district had not appropriately addressed the harassment.
According to a press release from the Department of Education the resolutions include:
- Evaluating whether compensatory services or other services are necessary for the harassed student due to the instructional time the student missed when attending in-person classes on an only part-time basis.
- Providing training to all district administrators and staff regarding the district’s obligation, in compliance with Title IX, to respond to complaints of sex-based harassment.
- Providing age-appropriate information programs for students to address sex-based harassment, including what students should do if they believe they or other students have experienced such harassment. And,
- Conducting a climate survey to assess the prevalence of sex-based harassment and obtain suggestions for effective ways to address harassment.