OWASSO, OKLA. (KTUL) – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that Owasso Public Schools has entered into a settlement for Title IX violations involving reports of sexual harassment.

Over a three-year period, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) identified several instances in which district staff received notification of possible sexual harassment.

However, OCR alleges that district staff did not explain the process for filing a Title IX complaint or contact a complainant to discuss support measures.

OCR says the district received reports that a teacher was grooming female students on social media, that a young elementary school student was repeatedly harassed with sexual remarks, and that a male student repeatedly hit and made comments sexually unwanted to a sixth grade girl.

The district also received a complaint that several students were subjected to repeated sexual insults, harassment and physical assault.

OCR claims Owasso Public Schools failed to respond to reports of sexual harassment.

The district even failed to take the steps required by Title IX in February when a student committed suicide after an altercation in the Owasso High School bathroom, according to OCR.

OCR found that the district’s response to some families’ reports of sexual harassment was “deliberately indifferent to students’ civil rights.”

“Owasso students and their families did not receive the fair and equitable review process from their school district guaranteed to them by Title IX; at worst, some students suffered discrimination. Congress has long guaranteed that they will not endure in school,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “The District has signed a robust agreement to ensure that students who attend school in the District will be afforded their Title IX rights, including the right to file a complaint, learn and receive individualized support services based on their needs and to benefit from federal services. protection against discrimination when they suffer harassment.”

The settlement agreement states that the district must contact the parents of students affected by sexual harassment and inform them of the Title XI complaint process and other support measures.

The district must also issue a public statement against harassment and nondiscrimination, review and revise its Title IX policies to ensure compliance, and provide Title XI training to staff and students.

A district sexual harassment climate survey should be conducted.

All sexual harassment complaints from the past three school years must be reviewed and an audit will be conducted for the next two school years to ensure that the district processes all complaints in accordance with Title IX.

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