Over 50 years ago, Title IX was part of a slew of amendments to the Education Amendments Act of 1972 that further expanded the rights of education for all sexes in the U.S.

Title IX states: “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.”

Any public and private education institution that receives federal funds, including El Camino College, is required by federal law to prohibit sex and gender-based discrimination on their campuses. Not complying with Title IX could result in the loss of funding for institutions.

Students at El Camino may not fully know the protections that apply to them by law and the resources they are entitled to if faced with discrimination.

Title IX covers a variety of incidents such as sexual and gender-based misconduct including sexual harassment, stalking, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault.

Students who feel like they have experienced or witnessed an incident on campus that falls under the Title IX category can visit the Administration Building and speak to the Director of Title IX, Diversity and Inclusion, Jaynie Ishikawa.

Ishikawa’s office offers resources and support options depending on the situation a student may be going through. Ishikawa said that her office is not confidential.

“If a student shares something with me, I can’t guarantee that I can keep it confidential and in most cases, for my office to be able to take action in a meaningful way…I do need to share certain information with certain parties,” Ishikawa said.

Ishikawa said that she always tries to make it very clear to students that she can’t guarantee confidentiality. Iskikawa said if students are not comfortable sharing with her that she will refer them to confidential resources on campus, like Student Health Services.

“One of the biggest components of the types of resources that I can refer students to [is] our amazing Student Health Service here on campus,” Ishikawa said.

Another area that Title IX handles is pregnancy-related accommodations.

Students who are pregnant can work with their instructor directly but if they are looking for assistance or looking for guidance they can also work with Ishikawa to work out any potential accommodations.

“I always encourage students who are pregnant to work with their instructors and or me, as soon as possible,” Ishikawa said.

Ishikawa said she recommends students call the office or email her to schedule an appointment. If students are busy and don’t have the time to come in person, they can meet over the phone or by Zoom depending on what the student may want.

“We really try to accommodate students based on their needs and their preferences,” Ishikawa said.

The Office of Title IX, Diversity, and Inclusion may be reached during normal business hours in-person, via email, or at 310-660-3813.