The U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations regarding the 1972 law known as Title IX. At its core, Title IX legally requires schools to provide roughly equal sports facilities for both male & female athletes. Additionally, this law prohibits discrimination and harassment in public schools based on an individual’s sex.
The School Board, Administration, and Staff of Chesapeake Public Schools district is committed to maintaining an educational environment and workplace that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. In accordance with Title IX and its regulations, the school district prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against students and employees on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity as well as on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, pregnancy, status as a veteran, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The school district will:

• train school personnel to understand and administer this policy;

• publish our Title IX policy on our website;

• promptly investigate all complaints, written or oral, of harassment based on protected group status at one of our schools or any school-sponsored activity;

• provide needed resources for a student who has been or may have been harmed;

• provide a fair and unbiased procedure for resolution of complaints;

• make determinations promptly;

• take appropriate action to stop any harassment; and

• take other actions reasonably to end and prevent further violations.

Any person may make a complaint of sex discrimination, harassment, or retaliation prohibited by Title IX, whether or not the person reporting is the person alleged to be the victim of conduct. If your student wants to report a violation regarding another person, you or your student may make such a complaint by appointment or at any time by mail, by telephone message, or by electronic mail to the School District’s Title IX Coordinator, Mr. Paul Wilson. The parents of a student who either makes a complaint or is alleged to have violated the school district’s policy will be notified.

The Title IX Coordinator will explain the process for responding to such a matter, arrange an investigation if a formal complaint results, and discuss the availability of supportive measures for affected students. The Title IX Coordinator will also assure a prompt and appropriate response by the school district. It is important to note that the person against whom the complaint is made will not be presumed responsible unless and until, after full investigation, findings indicating a violation have been made.

Further information regarding Title IX may be obtained by contacting Mr. Wilson or his office. The school district’s policy P 9-23 prohibiting sexual discrimination and harassment is available on our Student Support Services website. The new policy, P 9-23.1, addressing the new Title IX Regulations is also available on our Student Support Services website. We welcome the public to review both policies and send any questions or community feedback to our Title IX Coordinator, Mr. Wilson.