May 23, 2019

Dear Partners, Students, and Friends,

For years, girls and non-binary youth of color in New York City have told us that they experience sexual harassment, and sexual assault in the places where they are supposed to feel the safest, their schools. We know that in turn, teachers and principals have told students that the harmful and inappropriate behavior that they experienced, was just a sign of flirting.  This is wrong.  But things are changing, because of your partnership, we successfully held a hearing at New York City Council on April 30, where student survivors and advocates explained the importance of having ample Title IX Coordinators within the Department of Education (DOE), and that these roles need to be baselined in the city budget.  These coordinators must do the work  to prevent, respond to, and investigate allegations of school-based sexual violence. They lay the groundwork for the kind of culture change that our schools desperately need.  We know that one coordinator for 1.1 million students is not enough.  Now, we have the opportunity to ensure that there are enough adult staff to support the 1 in 3 New York City public school students who experience school-based sexual harassment. Chancellor Richard Carranza has made a commitment to education equity, and has agreed to meet with us on May 31st.  But we want you to come with us.  

We want the DOE to know why the funding for Title IX Coordinators is so important to each of you, so we are asking that you sign on to this letter to demonstrate the value of having multiple designated DOE staff to provide schools with the technical assistance to prevent sexual violence, and create cultures of consent amongst students and staff. We know that we are knocking on the door of a major shift in school culture, and in turn the culture within our communities.  

Please share your stories, your hopes for the future in this letter, so that we can lift up your voices in as we march toward the final days of the city’s budget season.