Title IX investigation into Wall ISD launched late July

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( Concho Valley Homepage ) — The Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation into Wall ISD in late July regarding an instance of Title IX discrimination, according to public records.

The OCR’s list of pending cases under investigation at elementary-secondary and post-secondary schools shows that an investigation into the infringement of Title IX was launched on July 22. The record states that the case concerns Wall ISD’s athletics department.

Title IX is a statute of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. The statute “protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance,” as per the OCR .

According to the OCR, Title IX states the following:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

The OCR states that this protection means any institution that receives federal funding “must operate its education program or activity in a nondiscriminatory manner free of discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity.” The protection includes pregnant and parenting students as well as LGBTQI+ students.

Wall ISD Superintendent Russell Dacy confirmed with Concho Valley Homepage that the investigation is ongoing and that the district is cooperating with the OCR.

The OCR’s investigation into Wall ISD comes 80 days after the office launched three separate investigations into San Angelo ISD. Two of these investigations involve alleged infringements of Title VI — a statute enacted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance,” according to the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice — while the other is concerned with disability discrimination.

This is a developing story. Stick with Concho Valley Homepage for updates as more information becomes available.

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