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“Title IX” refers to Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, a federal civil rights law. It prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. In addition, New York State Education Law 129-B (“Enough is Enough), prohibits the same type of misconduct.

Students/employees may report sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, pregnancy discrimination, and other discrimination based upon sex or gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity to the Title IX Office.

No. That is not the Title IX Coordinator’s role. The Title IX Coordinator’s role is a neutral one that ensures due process and equity to all of the involved parties; the Title IX Coordinator is not an advocate for either the reporting individual or the respondent.

If ��ɫ���� has reason to believe that a student’s health or safety is at risk, it will communicate with the student’s emergency contact. Under , the college may only talk to a student’s parents or guardians about a situation concerning sexual violence, stalking, etc., if the student has signed an authorization giving consent. If no authorization is signed, the university may only discuss its process and is prohibited from talking about any particular situation to parents/guardians.

The Title IX Coordinator will reach out to the person who made the disclosure of sex discrimination (sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, etc.) to offer support and explain their rights. If the accused person is a student, then the reporting student has the right to request ��ɫ���� to conduct an investigation. The reporting individual also has the right to make a police report, be free from retaliation, and receive support from the college. Although there are a few exceptions, it is the reporting individual who ultimately decides whether they want a formal investigation. If a crime has been committed, the reporting individual decides if they want to press criminal charges.

If the accused is an employee, the Office of Human Resources will likely need to conduct an investigation.

��ɫ���� is always able to provide support and resources to students, no matter where an incident occurred.

The reporting individual has the right to request the college to do a formal investigation, if the person accused is a student at ��ɫ����. If the accused person is a college employee, the college will be able to conduct an investigation through the Office of Human Resources.

The reporting individual has the ability to file a police report with the appropriate law enforcement agency and proceed with criminal charges, regardless of whether the accused is a student or an employee, and regardless of where the situation occurred. The Title IX Coordinator can provide referrals to these agencies to the reporting individual if they wish to engage with law enforcement.

There are some confidential resources available for ��ɫ���� students who are affected by sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking. These resources are both on and off campus. 

Contact information for these resources can be found here:

• Lauderdale Student Health and Counseling:
  • Health Services (585) 245-5736
  • Counseling Services (585) 245-5716
• RESTORE Sexual Assault Services:
  • Campus Advocate, available Tuesday/Thursdays Doty 303, (585) 487-8240
  • 24/7 Hotline: (585) 546-2777
• Chances & Changes Domestic Violence Program:
  • 24/7 Hotline: (585) 658-2660 or (888) 252-9360
• Willow Domestic Violence Center:
  • 24/7 Hotline: (585) 222-SAFE (7233)

is a great resource that provides both on and off campus resources, searchable by location.

Counselors and health care professionals at Lauderdale Student Health and Counseling are confidential resources and available to every student on campus. Information shared with these resources will not be disclosed.

• Lauderdale Student Health and Counseling:
  • Health Services (585) 245-5736
  • Counseling Services (585) 245-5716

Regardless of whether the college or students take formal action, reporting individuals and respondents are able to receive support in the form of supportive measures which can include things like:

• No Contact Order: The Title IX Coordinator can issue a no contact order between students, which prohibits contact between them, but is not a disciplinary measure
• Academic Accommodations: The Title IX Coordinator can make a request through the Dean of Students to put faculty on notice when the student is experiencing a stressful situation or dealing with a Title IX related matter. These notices are issued for a variety of reasons, so faculty does not know it is related to a Title IX incident, unless the student tells them. The college may also be ale to assist a student when requesting extensions, or making the decision to take an "incomplete", withdrawing or taking a leave of absence.
• Alternate work schedules/locations: If students work together on campus, the Title IX Coordinator can arrange alternative work schedules or locations to avoid contact.

Supportive measures vary depending on each case; if your student has experienced a Title IX related incident, encourage them to access the office and meet with the Title IX Coordinator to discuss their options.

If ��ɫ���� conducts an investigation, it will be handled by one investigator. The first thing that will happen is both parties will receive official notice of the allegations. Both parties have the right to have an advisor present at all meetings during the process. The role of the advisor is a silent support, and is meant to provide emotional support to the student and to help the student prepare for investigation and hearing. Students may have anyone act as their advisor, they do not have to be affiliated with the college, and it can be an attorney. Attorneys who act as advisors are at the expense of the student.

The investigator will begin by interviewing the reporting individual, take their statement, ask for witnesses and request documentary evidence (including texts, social media messages and videos, if available). The investigator will then follow the same procedure when meeting with the respondent. Both parties will have an opportunity to respond to the other's statements and evidence. Interviews and evidence collection can take several weeks, as the investigator may need to meet with parties multiple times to ask follow up questions. Once all interviews are completed and parties have reviewed the report, it is forwarded on for a hearing.

The Title IX Office does not take any part in the hearing or decision-making process. The investigative report that is submitted for the hearing is a summary of what was learned during the investigation process. Evidence is not weighed, credibility is not determined and recommendations are not made.

The hearing board uses the "preponderance of the evidence" standard when determining responsibility in Title IX cases. This standard, simply put, means it is "more likely than not" that a violation of a ��ɫ���� policy occurred. The hearings are live, meaning they are either held virtually or in person. The hearings are also closed, meaning that only the parties, advisors, hearing officer and board members are present during the hearing. When witnesses appear, they are only there to give their statement, answer questions and then are asked to leave the hearing. The hearing board asks the questions, and during cross examination, the hearing board determines if questions are relevant before they are asked.

It is the hearing board that acts as decision maker and the hearing officer proves a written decision to both parties. Both parties have a right to appeal the findings. If appeals are submitted, a separate hearing board oversees the appeal and the hearing officer issues a final written decision to the parties.

If there is no investigation conducted, it is possible that the accused student may meet with the Title IX Coordinator about the situation if a no contact order is put into place, which is usually entered against both students. If there is no investigation, statements are not taken from either party, aside from what was initially disclosed when the report was made.

If there are no formal requests made by the reporting individual, such as a no contact order or a formal investigation, it is likely that the accused person may never be contacted by the Title IX office or made aware that a report was made against them. ��ɫ���� tracks this information, however, to help identify patterns and to comply with state and federal laws.

It is the reporting individual's decision to make a police report and file criminal charges. When a criminal complaint is filed, law enforcement conducts an investigation and may refer to the District Attorney's Office to determine if there is evidence to support a violation of New York State Penal Law to press charges. A criminal investigation and court process is separate from the administrative investigation conducted by the college. The standard of proof in criminal proceedings is "beyond a reasonable doubt" and a criminal conviction has different sanctions than a college finding of responsibility for violating a college policy.