Forty pairs of eyes stare up at a woman in full uniform, unaware of what’s to come. Despite the heaviness of the topic about to be discussed, she still smiles, creating an air of comfort in the crowd.

Piedmont Police Chief Rikki Goede discussed sexual assault and Title IX with all PHS students during the week of May 16 in the hopes of providing the basis of knowledge about Title IX and creating awareness in the student body to empower all to promote a healthy learning environment.

“You, as students, hold the power to create the school enviroment you want,” Goede said.

Goede said that most people know about the acts in Title IX relating to athletic opportunities, but few know how far-reaching it is in terms of protecting everyone’s rights to a harassment-free zone.

“Equal access to athletic participation — that’s what it is most famous for,” Goede said. “But amongst Title IX there is a whole broad spectrum that every student has a right to learn in an environment that is free from any type of harassing behavior, including sex, gender, race, and sexual orientation.”

Before coming to work in Piedmont, Goede served in the Crime Prevention Unit of the San Jose Police Department and taught about sexual harassment in middle schools for eleven years.

“I have unfortunately been to a couple scenes where kids have taken their own lives because of bullying, and some of it was sexual harassment,” Goede said. “It had really affected me.”

After witnessing such events, Goede said working to prevent sexual harassment became an issue near and dear to her heart.

“Empowering people who are being victimized and saying, you don’t have to put up with this, the law is on your side — that is what it’s all about for me,” Goede said.

Principal Brent Daniels said that these discussions came about as a result of federal requirement for training in schools about sexual harassment, as well as reports that there were some potential concerns about violations of Title IX in the Piedmont community.

“We are not investigating any students, but we hope to get the community thinking and talking about this topic,” Daniels said. “It was the right thing to do.”

Daniels said that his priority around these discussions is to ensure that every student comes to school in a harassment-free environment.

“We all have the responsibility to contribute to our school’s culture and climate,” Daniels said.

Daniels said that prior to these discussions, the only information available to students about this topic was found in the planner, and no direct conversation about these policies had taken place.

“Our goal in these discussions was to bring about awareness and for that awareness to generate into conversation between students, parents, and teachers,” Daniels said. “We want everyone to reflect on what type of role they are playing in our school climate.”

While Goede spoke to all students, her discussions differed by grade level.

“For seniors, the discussions were more tailored around how Title IX applies in college and beyond,” Goede said. “For the other grades, it was more about setting up the foundation of what Title IX actually is.”

Both Goede and Daniels emphasized the importance of technology in today’s world.

“There are some new norms from the advent of cell phones and mobile devices that we need to revisit to ensure people are aware,” Daniels said.

Although there are new forms of communication, Goede said that she recognizes that these themes of sexism and harassment have been rooted in our culture for years.

“The issues we are facing are not Piedmont-centric, nor are they new,” Goede said. “However, just because they are happening at other places does not mean it’s something we are going to allow here.”

Goede said that she hopes with more awareness and training, Piedmont will become a community that actively values the safety and protection of all students against harassment.

“Collectively, as a community, as a school, as students, we’re going to say no to harassment,” Goede said. “There’s real power in that.”

For Goede, the road to creating a safe learning environment that she strives for is through communication.

“That’s what it is all about — to get you guys talking amongst yourselves and with your parents about it,” Goede said.

Daniels said that these conversations will continue to happen both on and off campus.

“We must understand that as individuals, we play a paramount role in creating a safe learning environment,” Daniels said.