For all the attention paid to Title IX cases in the college sphere, largely unspoken is the far more egregious crisis of how schools handle sexual assault and sex-related discrimination at the K-12 level. There are presently only 74 K-12 Title IX cases being investigated by the United States Department of Education around the country. C. A. Goldberg, PLLC presently represents four cases. In each of them, the public school district horribly botched their responsibilities under Title IX.
Last week, we received notice from the US Dept of Ed that they are opening an investigation into one of our cases. Our complaint in that case is against the New York City Department of Education. This is an extremely positive first step. The case arose from the after-school rape of an eighth grader in Brooklyn by a male classmate. The offender videoed himself sexually assaulting my client and then the video was distributed throughout the school and adjacent schools as well. My client was harassed and bullied and threatened online and offline. When the school became aware of the video, they destroyed evidence, interfered with the police investigation, and most shockingly, told my client to stay home because her presence was “distracting” other students and drawing more attention to the video. Weeks later, my client was still at home with no attempts made by the school to check on her, deliver her homework, or make alternative arrangements for her schooling. Not only was the school indifferent to the hostile environment my client endured, it was the cause of her educational losses.
My client was de facto suspended for being raped. Stay tuned.