As one of ten lead signatories, the national nonprofit Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS) joins more than 100 organizations in urging the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to prioritize investigating and resolving sexual violence complaints rather than politicizing Title IX investigations to target transgender students. Each day, millions of K–12 students experience sexual harassment and sexual harm by both peers and school employees. SSAIS works directly with families and students whose educations have been derailed not only by sexual harassment and assault, but by schools’ failure to meet their legal obligations. Through our resources and direct support, we help survivors navigate school grievance procedures and file complaints with OCR, and we have seen firsthand the profound harm caused when cases are delayed, deprioritized, or dismissed.
OCR oversight and enforcement of Title IX are essential to ensuring that schools respond appropriately to sexual harassment and assault. For many K-12 students and families, the federal complaint process is the only realistic mechanism to seek redress beyond local decision-makers. Federal enforcement elevates districts’ Title IX awareness and compliance, reducing barriers to reporting, and motivating schools to adopt preventive action.
When OCR deprioritizes sexual harassment and assault complaints, many survivors are deprived of effective remedies, and schools may feel emboldened to ignore or inadequately address reports. Students who continue to face hostile environments often disengage academically, transfer schools, or drop out entirely—outcomes that carry long-term educational, economic, and psychological costs. The absence of robust enforcement signals to school communities that sexual harm will not be treated as a civil rights violation, eroding trust in institutions and normalizing harmful behavior.
Federal civil rights law guarantees all students—regardless of sex, gender identity, or background—equal access to educational environments free from discrimination and violence. Federal enforcement is critical to upholding these protections. It is imperative that OCR return to its core responsibilities: rigorously investigating and resolving sexual harassment and assault complaints, providing accessible avenues of redress for survivors, ensuring that schools meet their Title IX obligations, and protecting all students from sexual harm by both peers and school employees. OCR must end politicized investigations and refocus its resources on restoring and upholding the core promise of Title IX.