CHICAGO (IL)
WLS ABC7
June 27, 2018
By Jessica D’Onofrio
Chicago Public Schools announced Wednesday the formation of a new team: the Office of Student Protections and Title IX. The aim is to better safeguard students who report sexual abuse, according to CPS CEO Janice Jackson.
District officials plan to have the 20-member team in place by the end of the summer.
Top brass at CPS asked student victims of sexual abuse at school to come forward at a press conference Wednesday morning.
The nation’s third-largest school district was rocked by a Chicago Tribune investigation exposing major problems in how the district handles sexual abuse allegations.
“We encourage you to speak up. We expect – I would count it as a good thing – if we hear more from students and communities around these incidents,” Jackson said.
The office will investigate serious allegations of sexual abuse by teachers or students. The team will coordinate with Chicago police and the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, train staff, parents and students on all forms of sexual assault and harassment and link students with counseling.
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