Frequently asked questions
First, if you believe you are in imminent danger based on the conduct of a teacher or someone who works at your school, you should call your local police department and call the State Department of Children and Families at 1-800-842-2288. If you are not in imminent danger but you want to report the discrimination, find a staff person at the school (either a teacher, counselor, paraprofessional or administrator) whom you trust and report the discriminatory conduct to that person.
If you do not feel safe reporting the conduct to a school employee, or you don’t have confidence that the complaint will be taken seriously, you can report the discriminatory behavior to the State Department of Education’s Title IX coordinator. The contact information for that office can be found here. You also have the right to file a discrimination complaint with the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) or the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. Information on how to file these types of complaints may be found on the State Department of Education’s website by going here. Be aware that complaints that are filed either with CHRO or the U.S. Department of Education taken several months to process and you will not receive an immediate answer or resolution to your complaint.
Remember that receiving and education is a constitutional right in Connecticut, and you might be entitled to reasonable accommodations or educational supports from your school district. If you are under 18, you need your parents to participate in the educational process and to agree to any special education or accommodation plan. You can find legal assistance for educational issues by calling the state’s legal services hotline at 1-800-453-3320 or contacting a non-profit children’s advocacy organization such as the Center for Children’s Advocacy in Hartford (860-570-5327) or Bridgeport (203-335-0719).
The first thing you should do is protect yourself, even if it means not returning to the therapist for any more appointments. Tell a trusted adult (a parent or guardian, or someone at your school), and they can help you figure out the best thing to do. In such cases where you believe you’ve been the victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault by a behavioral health professional, you should call either the police or the Department of Children and Families (see above, or call the DCF Abuse and Neglect hotline at 1-800-842-2288). Reporting this conduct will trigger an immediate investigation by either DCF or the police, and you should expect that someone (from either DCF or the police) will follow up with you directly to provide detailed information about the conduct.
