Are Internship Coordinators Protecting Students’ Title IX Rights?

ABSTRACT This qualitative study had a singular focus; it was to determine if hospitality students were being informed that their Title IX rights followed them off campus during an internship that was required to complete their degree. As it turned out most of those internship coordinators who participated in the study did not inform the students that they had a legal right not to be harassed during their internship under Title IX. Furthermore, students were given no training as to what to do if they were harassed during their internship when their Title IX rights were being violated. It is recommended that internship coordinators do a better job informing students of their rights before they embark on their internship, and what to do if those rights are violated as an intern.