Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
The District has established a Crisis Assessment, Intervention and Response (CAIR) team on campus. CAIR consists of representatives from Counseling, Student Health and Psychological Services, Office of Student Conduct and Grievance, Student Accessibility Services Services, and Campus Police and the Title IX Coordinator. CAIR, with the assistance of outside experts in sex offense education, educates the campus community about sexual assaults and date rape through on-campus training programs. Literature on date rape education, risk reduction and District response is available through Health and Wellness and Campus Police.
If you are a victim of a sexual assault on campus, your first priority should be to get to a place of safety. You should then obtain necessary medical treatment. The Campus Police Department strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner. Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to Campus Police. Filing a police report with a CCPD officer will not obligate the victim to prosecute, nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or judgmental opinions from officers. Filing a police report will:
- Ensure that a victim of a sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests, at no expense to the victim
- Provide the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution, which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam)
- Assure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault crisis intervention
When a sexual assault is reported to Campus Police, Campus Police may, with the victim's consent, notify other personnel as necessary to provide care and services to the victim. These personnel include the Title IX Coordinator, President/Superintendent; Vice President of Student Services; Dean of Office of Student Conduct and Grievance; manager of Employment Services/Diversity Officer; and/or the Coordinator of Student Health Services.
A student victim of a sexual assault may choose for the investigation to be pursued through the criminal justice system and the Title IX Coordinator, or only the latter. A representative from the Police Department or the Title IX Coordinator will guide the victim through the available options and support the victim in his or her decision. Various counseling options are available from the College through the Student Health Center and/or Employee Assistance. Counseling and support services outside the District system are available by contacting the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673).
District disciplinary proceedings are detailed in the Cerritos College General Catalog. Both the victim and accused will be informed of the outcome of the hearing. A student found guilty of violation the District sexual misconduct policy could be criminally prosecuted in the state courts and may be suspended or expelled from the District for the first offense. Student victims have the option to change their academic situation after an alleged sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available.
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