Student Life

“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 . . . .” 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 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. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, and sexual coercion. Title IX also requires that equal opportunity in athletics be provided.

Individuals with concerns or questions about Title IX may contact the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s Title IX Coordinator as follows:

Title IX also prohibits retaliation for raising a complaint under Title IX or for advocating for a right protected by Title IX.

The University of Maine System, including all of its institutions, has a system-wide Policy Against Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, Stalking and Retaliation (a printable PDF is available here). This UMFK specific edition provides information on how and where to file a complaint, area resources, and details regarding confidential, anonymous, and other reporting options. It also outlines how all UMFK employees, excluding UMFK’s Counselor and Accessibility Coordinator, are mandatory reporters.

Information on how to file a complaint of sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination or other policy violations can be found in the UMFK Student Handbook under the Student Conduct Code, the Equal Opportunity Complaint Procedure, and the Title IX Sexual Harassment Procedures.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is the entity that is charged with enforcing Title IX compliance. Inquiries about these issues may also be referred to the local branch of the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), 8th Floor, Five Post Office Square, Boston MA 02109-3921, telephone (617) 289-0111, fax (617) 289-0150, TTY (877) 521.2172 or email: ocr.boston@ed.gov. The website for the Office of Civil Rights can be located by following this link: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

To view the training resources that we use, please visit the University of Maine Title IX Trainings webpage. If you have any questions, please contact any of the staff members named above.