Frequently Asked Questions for Reporting Parties/Complainants
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Contact a mental health practitioner.
Contact a mental health practitioner to provide you with confidential and immediate emotional support. You can contact a private clinician or utilize resources available to you through the College.- Students: Cerritos College Student Psychological Services can be reached via telephone at (562) 860-2451, ext. 2321.
- Employees: Call Cerritos College Employee Assistance Program at (800)531-0200 or (800) 443-5766.
- Students and Employees: Contact a trusted friend, family member, or someone who can provide you with additional
support.
- Students: Cerritos College Student Psychological Services can be reached via telephone at (562) 860-2451, ext. 2321.
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Have you been notified by the Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX?
If you received a notification from the Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX, please follow the directions. -
Gather any relevant evidence.
Upon notice of an investigation, it is advised that you gather as much evidence as possible before too much time has elapsed. You may want to submit any evidence to the Title IX Investigator so that it can be considered during the investigation.
Examples of evidence may include:- Text messages
- Social media postings
- E-mails
- Voicemails
- Letters
- Other items that may be relevant to the situation
Note: If you have already deleted text messages, it is possible that you may still be able to retrieve them by contacting your mobile phone provider. Additionally, it is suggested that you make a list of witnesses who might be relevant to the investigation.
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Determine an advisor.
If you need assistance identifying an advisor, you may contact the Title IX Coordinator. -
Request supportive measures as needed.
If you are in need of supportive measures please contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Examples of supportive measures include but not limited to:- Academic or workplace accommodations
- Modified schedules
- Excused absences
- Referrals
- Confidential guidance is available through the Campus Victim’s Advocate.
- The Title IX Coordinator is available to discuss your reporting options, rights, resources, and supportive
measures available to you.
Note: The Title IX Coordinator is not confidential but “private.” “Private” means that only people who need to have information about your report will be informed. This includes individuals who will provide you with support and/or will investigate and adjudicate the situation.
- If the Respondent is affiliated (ex. student, staff, faculty, etc.) with Cerritos College, you are able to pursue disciplinary measures through the
District.
- Regardless of the Respondent’s affiliation with Cerritos College, you are always able
to report incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct that might constitute a crime
under California and/or federal law to law enforcement.
- A Reporting Party can determine if they want to report to Cerritos College, law enforcement,
neither, or both. Law enforcement and Cerritos College proceedings can occur simultaneously.
- Cerritos College encourages all students, staff, and faculty members to avail themselves
to all reporting mechanisms and judicial avenues available.
- Cerritos College can assist a Reporting Party with making a report to law enforcement agencies. The District will cooperate with law enforcement agencies as well.
- The District only has jurisdiction over individuals affiliated with Cerritos College.
We cannot take judicial action against someone who is not affiliated with our college.
- The Title IX Office can support you by providing you supportive measures and giving
you information about your rights, resources, and reporting options.
- The Title IX Office can assist you with reporting to law enforcement and/or another college/university if the Respondent is affiliated with another school.
- Information reported to the Title IX staff is “private.” “Private” means that only
individuals who need information about your report in order to provide you with support
and/or to investigate and adjudicate the situation, will be informed.
- Cerritos College also have confidential resources available to students and staff.
A confidential resource is someone who is not required to share information about
your situation with the Title IX Coordinator. Confidential resources can provide counseling
and support.
- Students who are interested in speaking with confidential resources should contact:
- Staff and faculty who are interested in speaking with a confidential resources should contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Under California law, confidentiality means that information shared with confidential
individuals will not be shared with others or used in court. Confidential individuals
cannot be subpoenaed to testify against a Reporting Party in a court proceeding.
- Confidentiality is generally provided to individuals acting in psychological/counseling
settings, victim advocates, attorneys/lawyers, and religious/spiritual advisors.
- Cerritos College is committed to creating an environment that encourages student,
staff, faculty, and affiliates, to come forward if they have experienced any form
of misconduct. The College will safeguard the identities of individuals who seek assistance
or report misconduct. Information will only be shared with individuals on a “need
to know basis” as required to support the impacted individual and/or investigate and
adjudicate the incident. This is considered privacy.
- Cerritos College employees cannot offer confidentially expect for medical professionals, mental health providers, and the victim advocate, while acting in those roles.
- If you want to engage in the formal sexual harassment resolution process as outlined
in AP 3434 (Responding to Harassment Based on Sex under Title IX), you must provide the name
of the Respondent. The process begins with the submission of a Formal Complaint Form.
The formal process is the only way judicial action can be pursued.
- If you are not interested in a formal resolution process and/or only want to supportive measures, you do not need to provide the Respondent’s identifying information.
- If you file a Formal Complaint Form, the Title IX Coordinator is required to assess
the report for jurisdiction and either accept or dismiss the complaint. Upon either
acceptance or dismissal of a Formal Complaint, both/all parties will be informed that
a Formal Complaint was filed and the Title IX Coordinator’s rationale for acceptance
or dismissal.
- Respondent’s facing judicial ramifications have a right to know who reported misconduct
and what the allegations were so they can meaningfully respond.
- If you do not wish to provide the name of the Respondent, disciplinary action cannot be taken. You are still entitled to supportive measures however.
- It is a violation of the District’s policy to retaliate in any way against an individual
or a group because the individual or group reported an allegation of sexual or protected
class misconduct.
- Similarly, individuals who choose not to participate in an investigatory process or
withdraw their participation, cannot be retaliated against.
- The District recognizes that retaliation can take many forms, may be committed by
an individual or a group against an individual or a group, and that the Respondent
can also be the subject of retaliation by a Reporting Party or a third party. Cerritos
College will take immediate and responsive action to any report of retaliation and
may pursue disciplinary action as appropriate. An individual reporting sexual harassment
or misconduct is entitled to protection from any form of retaliation following a report
that is made in good faith, even if the report is later not proven.
- All concerns of regarding retaliation should be brought to the attention of the Title IX Coordinator immediately.
- The District’s relationship is with you, the student. Per the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA), the District cannot disclose any information about you or
your student record to anyone; including a parent.
- Students are encouraged to inform their parents/guardians/support network in the event
of major medical, disciplinary or academic concerns.
- Cerritos College will only contact a parent at the written request of a student, in instances where health or safety emergencies exist, or if the College determines such communication is necessary.
- The Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX provides supportive measures, including
academic accommodations for all parties. If you are in need of assistance, please
contact the TitleIXCoordinator@cerritos.edu.
- Academic accommodations can include schedule modifications, switching courses, extension on exams/assignments, etc. The Title IX Coordinator will meet with the party to determine what is a reasonable accommodation given the situation.
- No, reports can be made to the Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX at any
time.
- Individuals are encouraged to report misconduct as soon as they are able in order to ensure the preservation of evidence and memory.
- Individuals can access a wide range of supportive measures when they report an incident
of sexual or protected class misconduct.
- Reasonable supportive measures are available to all parties.
- Examples of supportive measures can include academic accommodations (ex. extension on an assignment), a no-contact directive, referrals, emergency housing, etc. The goal of supportive measures is to ensure all parties are able to continue to participate in the educational programs and activities.
- Individuals do not need to file a formal complaint or participate in a formal resolution
process in order to receive supportive measures.
- Supportive measures are available to all parties, free of charge.
- Complainants/Reporting Parties and Respondents are entitled to have an advisor of
their choice accompany them to all meetings with the Office of Diversity, Compliance
and Title IX.
- If a party does not have an advisor at the Live Hearing, the District will provide an advisor to conduct the cross-examination on the party’s behalf, free of charge.
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