Twice a month, 8th grade English teacher Stephany Copeland hosts what she calls a “gender assembly” for the 55 girls she teaches at the KIPP Rise Academy in Newark, N.J. They’re usually oriented around things that the girls want to talk about, and given their age, that often means the power dynamics between boys and girls.
Copeland’s work predates the #MeToo movement, but her focus on relationships and consent, many advocates say, is uncommon: Both topics are frequently missing from whatever health or sex education U.S. students receive.
Now women are calling the question: Can the #MeToo movement, which has brought widespread attention to harassment in the boardroom, behind restaurant kitchen doors, and on the sports field, do the same for schools?
At the very least, #MeToo has unleashed a torrent of examples of sexual harassment of school-age children: Hundreds of students are now sharing their stories under that hashtag and a companion, #MeTooK12, which was begun by Stop Sexual Assault in Schools. The nonprofit focuses on drawing attention to schools’ responsibility under Title IX, a federal law to protect against gender discrimination, including sexual violence and bullying.
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