by Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor
Paterson school officials failed to properly respond to students’ allegations of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, during a five-year period starting in 2017, according to a letter the federal Department of Education sent the school district’s chief on Monday.
Employees with the department’s civil rights office also said that during their review of the district, Paterson school employees reported four instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault between employees and students that the school had failed to report to the education department as required.
Federal investigators also found that school officials did not keep proper documentation on internal investigations into these complaints, raising concerns about how Paterson Public Schools handles reports of sexual harassment and assault.
Now, the school district has entered into an agreement with the Department of Education to improve compliance with Title IX, the 1972 law that bars sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding.
“These multiple failures led to the district’s insufficient responses to numerous complaints of sexual harassment, leaving district students vulnerable to the sex discrimination in school that Title IX forbids,” the department said in a statement Monday.
Paterson is home to the state’s third-largest school district, with nearly 50 schools and 25,000 students. Paterson officials did not respond to a request for comment.
In the 20-page letter sent to Paterson Schools Superintendent Laurie W. Newell, federal investigators used a handful of examples to criticize the district for not properly investigating complaints of sexual harassment and assault.
In one example, a principal said that she was told of a sexual relationship between a teacher and a student. The district fired the teacher but could not provide any evidence that it had conducted an internal investigation into the matter.
In another, the district said it had suspended a student for repeatedly sexually harassing another student and performing a sexual act on him, but it couldn’t provide any evidence of steps it took to prevent the actions from recurring.
As part of the review, Paterson school officials agreed to adhere to a 15-page compliance agreement. Among the requirements:
- Submit annual reports to the Department of Education, including a spreadsheet of all reports and complaints of sexual harassment and assault and descriptions of supportive measures offered to victims.
- Notify all employees, students, and parents of the Title IX policy and explain how to contact the schools’ Title IX coordinator on the district website.
- Beginning next school year, conduct an annual survey to assess the climate in the schools and use those results to improve policies and training practices.
- Train the Title IX coordinator and ensure they have sufficient time to serve in their role.
- They will also have to coordinate with other staff regarding monitoring outcomes of investigations, maintaining records, and addressing patterns of sexual harassment.
- Improve training for personnel on responding to harassment claims and offer age-appropriate training for students, including on what Title IX means, how to file a complaint, and what support is offered to students.
- Check with the county prosecutor’s office about which offenses are required to be reported to law enforcement and which are discretionary.
- Within 90 days, review all reported incidents between 2017 and 2024 to determine if further action is needed.
Federal officials didn’t say when they expect the agreement to expire but said that if officials don’t comply, the matter could be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice.