Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Jackie Gharapour Wernz is an expert in the fields of school administration and school compliance with the requirements of Federal civil rights laws. She has over 15 years of experience working with elementary and secondary K-12 public and private/independent schools, including charter schools, and colleges, community colleges, and universities and can serve as an expert in the areas of: peer harassment, including harassment under Title VII (discrimination in employment); Title IX (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity), Title VI (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, and national origin), and Section 504/Title II of the ADA (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on disability); hazing; bullying; educator sexual misconduct; educator sexual abuse; transgender issues; Greek organizations; steps a school should take to create a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; the standard of care for school supervision of students to prevent peer and educator misconduct; harassment, discrimination, and retaliation reporting requirements, response requirements, and remediation requirements; prompt, thorough, and adequate responses and investigations; safety and security; actual knowledge; notice; what constitutes an education program or activity; the definitions of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; internal investigation requirements; educational accountability; deliberate indifference (the reasonableness of a school's response to reports); and supervision of facilities and other safety concerns related to potential student misconduct. Jackie has worked with hundreds of elementary and secondary schools (public and private, including charter schools and independent schools), colleges, and universities across the U.S. in both consulting and legal roles, and is a former civil rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. This unique experience gives her intimate insight into the law and best practices for schools, colleges, and universities in these areas. She has trained thousands of school, college, and university administrators on Federal civil rights responsibilities, including Title IX (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity), Title VI (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, and national origin), and Section 504/Title II of the ADA (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on disability). Jackie is a nationally recognized thought leader, practitioner, and consultant in the highly specialized area of Title IX. Jackie's thorough knowledge of the operations of schools, colleges, and universities, as well as of OCR, allows her to provide much more than just a solid understanding of Title IX law and best practices. She also understands how best practices are implemented on the ground by a reasonable administrator or employee.