Sexual Harassment

What You Should Know About the Proposed Title IX Revisions

Published on: September 21, 2020 | by KJC Law Firm, LLC

What You Should Know About the Proposed Title IX Revisions

New Title IX provisions went into effect on August 14, 2020, drastically reducing the protections the statute provided to prevent sexual harassment and assault despite overwhelming evidence that sexual assaults on campus are at epidemic levels. Here is what you need to know about the recent changes and what to expect on campuses starting in the fall of 2020.

In 2017, Secretary Betsy Devos, at the helm of the Department of Education (DOE), rescinded the previous administration’s 2011 guidance on Title IX, also known as the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), with the promise that revisions for the legislation would be released soon.

Know Your Rights: Title IX Prohibits Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Where You Go to School

Published on: September 15, 2020 | by KJC Law Firm, LLC

Know Your Rights: Title IX Prohibits Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Where You Go to School

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. All public and private elementary and secondary schools, school districts, colleges, and universities (hereinafter “schools”) receiving any Federal funds must comply with Title IX. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.

Below is additional information regarding the specific requirements of Title IX as they pertain to sexual harassment and sexual violence.

What Is Sexual Assault?

Published on: August 24, 2020 | by KJC Law Firm, LLC

What Is Sexual Assault?

The term “sexual violence” encompasses sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rape. In Massachusetts, sexual assault is defined as any crime in which the offender subjects the victim to sexual touching that is unwanted and offensive. Rape is defined as Sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person, by force and against his will, or by the threat of bodily injury. Sexual intercourse and unnatural intercourse include, by definition, the penetration of any bodily orifice by any object.

On average, sexual assault occurs every 73 seconds in America.

Legal Advice for Expectant Mothers in the Workforce during COVID-19

Published on: July 24, 2020 | by KJC Law Firm, LLC

Expectant Mothers In the Workforce during COVID-19

While the Coronavirus Pandemic is challenging for us all, expecting mothers find themselves in a uniquely difficult position. Pregnancy is enough to make any woman nervous; pregnancy in the midst of a pandemic while being pressured to work in a potentially dangerous workplace is another thing altogether.

Although mother-to-child transmission of coronavirus during pregnancy is unlikely, there are still legitimate risks for women and their future children. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, pregnant women should take the following steps to reduce their risk of infection:

A Guide To Understanding And Combatting Sexual Harassment In Your Workplace

Published on: July 20, 2020 | by KJC Law Firm, LLC

Many of us know someone who has experienced some form of sexual harassment at work… maybe you have experienced it yourself at work. What’s important to understand is that sexual harassment should never be a normal part of your workday. Whether it happens to a woman or to a man, sexual harassment in any form is unacceptable.

What is Sexual Harassment… According to Federal Law

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families’ Know Your Rights Manual, the law states that a workplace situation is considered a sexual harassment case if: