When a Virginia high school teen reported that another student repeatedly touched her breasts and genitals without consent during a school band trip, the school decided there wasnât enough evidence to establish that there was a âsexual assault.â They did not punish the alleged offender.
The student sued the school in federal court under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any âeducation program or activityâ that receives federal funding. The jury rendered a verdict in favor of the school. But a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in June reversed that verdict and ordered a new trial.