Report An Incident
Title IX requires that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance…” As such, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on the gender of students and employees of educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Texas Southmost College is governed by Title IX.
REPORTING COMPLAINTS UNDER TITLE IX
Any member of the TSC community who believes he/she has been the victim of sex discrimination or sexual misconduct or who has witnessed such conduct should report such misconduct or file an informal or formal complaint with the College’s Title IX coordinator. 1
Students who believe they have been or are victims of sex discrimination or sexual harassment, including sexual assault or sexual violence on or off campus, whether by college employees, contracted services employees, other students, or non-community members, are encouraged to request immediate personal support from any member of the Office of Student Services or the Title IX Coordinator. Student complaints against other students concerning sexual assault, sexual violence, or other sexual misconduct may be made on an informal or formal basis with the college’s Title IX Coordinator or with TSC Security. All complaints received by TSC Security will be forwarded to the Title IX Coordinator, who will ensure that an appropriate investigation is conducted.
Employees who believe they are being harassed or discriminated against because of their gender should promptly make a report to the Title IX Coordinator, to his/her supervisor, to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the campus President, or the Vice President of Student Services. All reports made to the employee’s supervisor, campus President, Vice President of Student Services, or TSC Security must, in turn, be immediately forwarded to the Title IX Coordinator.
Why should you report?
Survivors may also use the form to request support. In addition, the information will be used so that TSC may strengthen education and prevention efforts related to sexual assault, dating violence, and domestic violence. Statistical data also will be collected from the information provided.
*Reporters and survivors may remain anonymous. The report form need not include the survivor’s or the accused’s name unless the survivor or reporter chooses to include them. Filing an anonymous report will ensure that information is recorded if the survivor would like to file a complaint later. Survivors are encouraged to include their initials if they would like to file a formal complaint later, although this is not required. Filing an anonymous report will not result in a police investigation.
Visit the Sexual Assault webpage for more information.
IMPORTANT FACTS
- TSC will apply its best efforts to protect all college community members from sex discrimination, gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence.
- TSC will take affirmative and corrective action whenever the college becomes aware of possible sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual violence, or other sexual misconduct within the college community, whether or not a complaint has been made.
- In order to meet its Title IX obligations and to the extent possible, every effort will be made to keep the details of complaints confidential, if requested to do so by a victim of sexual misconduct. Staff will follow the college’s procedures for conducting an investigation and recommendations. However, the college’s ability to strictly observe confidentiality may be compromised in cases where the safety of members of the college community is judged to be at risk.
- The safety and security of all college community members is a priority.
- The internal investigation of a complaint will be conducted, and a decision will be rendered, no matter the timeline or outcome of case adjudication by external authorities.
WHO IS COVERED BY TITLE IX?
All educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance are required to adhere to Title IX regulations. Even if only one of the institution’s programs or activities receives federal funding, all programs within the institution must comply with Title IX regulations.
FACTS ABOUT TITLE IX
Title IX regulations prohibit sex discrimination in regard to all programs, including:
- course offerings, classroom access, grading, and other academics
- student counseling and academic support
- hiring and retention of employees (staff, faculty, and administration)
- job-related benefits and leave
- pregnancy
In addition to sex discrimination, Title IX also prohibits sexual misconduct, which includes sexual harassment, gender harassment, and sexual violence. Additional information regarding behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct is available in TSC’s Title IX Policy, which is located on its website and in the student handbook.
Title IX serves to protect the rights of men and women and requires that males and females receive fair and equal treatment in all educational and employment areas.
Title IX also protects individuals who report sex discrimination and sexual misconduct from retaliation by individuals or institutions. The reporting of incidents of discrimination is integral to the effective enforcement of Title IX law. Therefore, the protection of complainants, as well as the accused, is essential. Retaliation against any individual who reports or makes a complaint about a Title IX violation will not be tolerated at TSC. The College will impose appropriate corrective action against any individual found to have engaged in acts or threats of retaliation.
Certain employees of the college are required to report instances of alleged violations of Title IX. Without exception, if an employee is unsure if a situation warrants reporting, he/she must seek guidance from the Title IX coordinator. Institutions receiving federal financial assistance must operate in a nondiscriminatory manner. To ensure the college’s compliance with the law, adherence to Title IX regulations is everyone’s responsibility. In the most extreme circumstances, the penalty for failure to comply with Title IX can include the termination of all or part of an institution’s federal funding, including grants and student loans. It can also result in a college employee’s termination or a student’s dismissal.
The United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Title IX. Information regarding OCR can be found at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html.1 While there is no required format for making a report, any member of the TSC community may use the online reporting system or can contact the Title IX coordinator for assistance. Any victim of sexual misconduct who would prefer to speak with someone and have the form completed on his/her behalf should contact the Title IX coordinator.