OWASSO, Okla. — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that Owasso Public Schools has entered into an agreement to remedy Title IX violations involving sexual harassment in its schools.

OCR found through an investigation that the district has a practice of handling reports of student sexual harassment informally and inappropriately.

She found repeated instances over a three-year period where staff learned of possible sexual harassment but did not explain the process for filing a Title IX complaint. OCR said the school did not reach out to the plaintiffs to offer supportive measures, such as counseling or scheduling changes.

Amendments to Title IX in 2020 require districts to follow these procedures after learning of potential sexual harassment.

OCR said OPS did not respond to these reports:

• That a teacher groomed female students on social media by sending them more than 130 messages describing their physical appearance and requesting photos, among other topics,
• That a very young elementary school student was subjected to repeated harassment described as sexual in nature,
• That a male student repeatedly hit and made unwanted sexual comments to a sixth grade female student at school and on the school bus and,
• That several students were subjected to repeated insults, harassment and physical assaults based on sex.

The investigation found that OPS conducted only two formal Title IX investigations in the past three years and could only provide limited records to OCR in those two cases.
OCR said OPS failed to take necessary action after Nex Benedict’s death in February.

OCR released this statement about the findings:

These are the agreed changes:

• Contact parents of sexually harassed students in the district to inform them of the Title IX complaint process and the availability of supportive measures;
• Issue a public anti-harassment and non-discrimination statement to the district community;
• Review and, if necessary, revise its Title IX policies to ensure compliance with Title IX requirements regarding sexual discrimination, including sexual harassment;
• Provide Title IX training to district staff and students, including the full scope of sexual harassment;
• Conduct a District Sexual Harassment Climate Survey;
• Review all sexual harassment complaints received in the past three school years and an audit of all complaints received in the next two school years to ensure that the district processes all complaints in accordance with Title IX; and
• Develop and implement a record keeping system that adequately and accurately documents and maintains all records required by Title IX.

We are reaching out to Owasso Public Schools for comment.
The district released a statement about a separate USDE investigation Nov. 12 into complaints of violations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

OCR found no violations in that investigation, but the school voluntarily agreed to make changes in that investigation as well.

You can read that full letter here.

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