Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects people in an educational setting from discrimination based on their sex. Specifically, Title IX states, “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.” These regulations apply to elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools.

In 2020, new regulations were placed on schools regarding how schools respond to sexual harassment allegations by students and employees. Per the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, sexual harassment is defined, in part, as conduct based on sex and it includes dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, as they are defined in the Voices Against Women Act.