U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Sexual Harassment Investigation of San J
Categories: US Education News
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resolved two complaints against San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, a private medical school in Puerto Rico.The resolution agreement will ensure the school’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) as it applies to requirements to respond promptly and equitably to complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual assault. The agreement also will ensure that the school uses trained staff to conduct timely and complete investigations of complaints alleging discrimination based on sex as well as race and national origin to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). OCR initiated this investigation after receiving two complaints against the school from the same student. OCR determined that the school failed to investigate the complainant’s alleged sexual assault in violation of Title IX. OCR also determined that the school’s procedures for resolving sexual harassment complaints do not meet the requirements of the amendments to the Department of Education’s Title IX regulation that took effect on Aug. 14, 2020. Additionally, OCR identified compliance concerns regarding the school’s provision of interim measures and its response to the complainant’s complaint about implementation of the protective order."We look forward to working cooperatively with San Juan Bautista School of Medicine to address sexual harassment and promote a safe, nondiscriminatory learning environment for all students,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights.