by Soren Ryan-Jensen
There are many offices on campus, but the Title IX office is one that doesn’t get talked about often. Despite this, Title IX is a very useful resource on campus that should be discussed, particularly because there are often confusion or questions regarding how to access the department, what it can provide, and what entails from submitting complaints to the office.
Getting in touch with the office is simple: you can email the director, John Perrin, or talk to a mandated reporter. Mandated reporters include all faculty, all members of the Student Life Office and athletic departments or human resources, senior administrators such as deans or vice presidents, resident assistants and resident directors, and finally the president. Counseling and student health workers, as well as the chaplain, are not required to make reports and act as confidential sources. Another confidential resource is Ampersand, a non-affiliated organization that has an office in Danville and a space in the library’s presentation room (they also have a 24-hour crisis line, 1-800-656-HOPE). You can also have another party file a report on your behalf.
However you report, if you report, the college cannot guarantee confidentiality but instead offers non-retaliatory policies. Essentially, neither party can retaliate against the other, and violation of the policy may mean removal from campus. If you report a student, you can choose to submit either a formal or informal complaint. However, complaints against college employees must be formal complaints. The Title IX director also has the power to pursue a complaint, even against the wishes of the victim, if deemed necessary for the college.
Informal complaints try to establish mutual conditions between the complainant and the respondent, which may include actions like no contract orders. If this process is not found to be satisfactory by both parties, the complaint moves to the formal process. In the formal process, an investigation is launched and both parties are given time to collect evidence (additional evidence can be added at any time during this process). All parties are allowed equal access to evidence and may cross-examine witnesses.
During the investigation phase, an investigator will go through all collected evidence recommended by each party, allowing for a final response by both parties before the investigation ends. At this point, the investigator will submit their report to the college, and depending on the respondent’s relation to the college, a specific senior administration official will deliver sanctions if they deem it necessary, which may include expulsion or firing.
Now, onto some other important information:
- As of the 19th of April, the Trump-era Title IX regulations have been overturned, which may make it easier for you to pursue complaints, and force institutions to more strongly deal with sexual misconduct.
- The Student Handbook goes into great detail about each step of the process.
- You are always entitled to a lawyer, and there are free legal resources available such as Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and Kentucky Legal Aid.
- You can bring a support person to any part of this process.
- The college and the Title IX director is capable of dismissing cases.
- Centre has limited ability to pursue complaints against individuals not affiliated with the college, such as guest lecturers.
- According to the student handbook, access to an investigation’s evidence will require signing a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement.
Should you ever need to contact the Title IX office, we hope you find this information useful and wish you the best going forward.