UN ITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION O FFICE FO R CIVI L RIGHTS 61 FORSYTH ST., SOUTHVVEST, SU ITE 1()T10 ATLANTA, GA 30303-6927 REGION IV ,\LAl.!Al-lA FLORIDA GEORGIA TENi\'.ESSEE April 16, 2015 (b )(6),(b )(7)(C) Re : Complaint #04-15-2297 Dear (b)(6),(b)(7)(C) : On March 18, 2015, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) , Office for Civil Rights (OCR) , received the complaint you filed against Marion Military Institute (Institute), in which you alleged that the Institute engaged in discrimination on the basis of sex. Specifically , you (Complainant) alleged that the Institute engaged in discrim ination on the basis of sex when it fa iled to respond to notice of student -on-student sexual violence in a prompt and equitable manne r, and to redress the resulting hostile educational environment. OCR has determined that it has the authority to invest igate your allegation consistent w ith our complaint procedures and applicab le law. OCR is respo nsib le fo r enforcing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U .S.C . §§ 1681 el seq. , and its implement ing regulation, 34 C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibit discrim inat ion on the basis of sex in any education program or activity operated by a recipient of Federa l financial assistance (FF A) from the Department. The Instit ute rece ives FF A from the Department and is therefore subject to Title lX and the regu lat ion. Additional information about the laws OCR enforces is avai lable on ou r website at http: // wv./ w.ed.u ov /ocr. Because OCR has dete rm ined that it has jurisdiction and that the complaint was filed timely, it is open ing th is complaint for investigation . Please note that open ing the comp laint for investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determ ination with regard to its merit. During the investigation , OCR is a neutra l fact-finde r, collect ing and ana lyzing re levant evidence from the complainant the recipient, and other sources , as approp riate. OCR will ensure that its invest igation is legally suff icient and is dispos itive of the allegation, in accordance with the provisions of Article III of the Case Processing Manual . Accord ingly , OCR w ill invest iga te the fo llowing legal issues: l . Whether the lnstitute promptly and equitably responded to sexua l violence complaints , reports, and /or other incidents of wh ich the Institute had notice by the Complai nant and o ther simila rly situated students at the Institute , in noncompliance wit h the Title IX implementing regu lat ion at 34 C.F .R. §§ I 06.8 and 106.31. Th1.•Dep,1rtm ent of Ed ucation ';;m iss ion is to pro m ote s tude nt achie, ,em<.• n t and prep,1r,1tion for glob,1/ compL'litil'eness by fos tering ed w:Miona l cxccll