Civil Rights/Title IX

Title IX Coordinator | Reporting | Resources | Terms

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, and sexual coercion.

It is the policy of the Spoon River College to provide an ​educational, employment and business environment free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on protected criteria. Students and employees are responsible for maintaining an educational environment free of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and complying with all policies. Spoon River College is committed to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of its operations and educational programs and activities.​

Spoon River College POLICY 3.1.3 and POLICY 3.1.1​​​​

Inquiries about this policy and procedure may be made internally by employees and students to:

Role of Title IX Coordinator:

• Overseeing the College’s response to all Title IX reports and complaints and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems revealed by such reports and complaints.
• A Title IX complaint includes complaints alleging sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and/or sexual misconduct (as those terms are defined herein) which involve a College student as the victim and/or complainant or as the respondent.
• Being informed of all reports and complaints raising Title IX issues, including those initially filed with another individual or office or if the investigation will be conducted by another individual or office.
• Ensuring that adequate training is provided to students, faculty and staff on Title IX issues.
• Conducting Title IX investigations, including investigating facts relative to a complaint and recommending appropriate sanctions against the perpetrator and remedies for the complaint.
• Determining appropriate interim measures for a victim and/or complainant upon learning of a report or complaint of sexual violence.
• Ensuring that appropriate policies and procedures are in place for working with law enforcement and coordinating services with local victim advocacy organizations and services providers, including rape crisis centers.
• Promoting an educational and employment environment which is free of sexual discrimination and gender bias.

Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator or to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights:
Office for Civil Rights, Chicago Office
U.S. Department of Education
Citigroup Center
500 W MADISON ST STE 1475
CHICAGO IL 60661-4544
Phone: (312) 730-1560
Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov

How do you report sexual assault, domestic or dating violence, or stalking?

Any individual who wishes to report a concern or complaint relating to discrimination or harassment may do so by utilizing one of the following reporting options:

Reporting Options:

Electronically: You may report an act of sexual violence electronically by completing the Reporting Form or by emailing TitleIXCoordinator@src.edu.

Within 12 hours after receiving an electronic report, SRC shall respond and provide:
1. The survivor’s right to report or not report the alleged incident to SRC, law enforcement, or both, including information about the survivor’s right to privacy and which reporting methods are confidential;
2. The contact information for SRC’s Title IX Coordinators, confidential advisors, a community-based sexual assault crisis center, and local law enforcement;
3. The survivor’s right to request and receive assistance from campus authorities in notifying law enforcement;
4. The survivor’s ability to request interim protective measures and accommodations for survivors, including without limitation changes to academic, living, dining, working, and transportation situations, obtaining and enforcing a campus-issued order of protection or no contact order, if such protective measures and accommodations are reasonably available, and an order of protection or no contact order in State court;
5. SRC’s ability to provide assistance, upon the survivor’s request, in accessing and navigating campus and local health and mental health services, counseling, and advocacy services; and
6. A summary of SRC’s complaint resolution procedures if the survivor reports a violation of the comprehensive policy. 

The College will notify victims of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking in writing on how to request changes to their academic situation or seek protective measures regardless of whether the victim chooses to report the incident to law enforcement.

In Person: Victims, third parties, and bystanders can make a report of sexual violence and violations of SRC’s policy in person to any of the staff listed below.

Third Party: A third party or bystander may report acts of sexual violence by notifying the staff listed below or electronically by emailing TitleIXCoordinator@src.edu.

Resources

The following resources are not managed by SRC but may be helpful to you, especially in assisting you with a variety of needs that you may have beyond your campus experience.

Statement of Survivor Rights

If you have experienced sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking while enrolled at Spoon River College, you may request interim protective measures and accommodations reasonably available from Spoon River College, which may include: Exam (paper, assignment) rescheduling; Taking an incomplete in a class; Transferring class sections; Temporary withdrawal; Alternative course completion options; No contact order; Honoring an order of protection. Additional detail about "complainant rights" is available in Policy 3.1.3.

Local Hospitals:

Victims Assistance Agencies

Terms and Definitions

What is sexual violence?
The Campus Sexual Violence Act requires institutions to educate students and employees on prevention and awareness of sexual assault.
According to the Illinois Criminal Code, the following definitions apply. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ChapterID=53&ActID=1876
Dating violence is defined on the Department of Justice website. http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/datingviolence.html

Bystander Intervention: A bystander is someone other than the victim who is present when an act of dating violence, domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault is occurring or when a situation is occurring in which a reasonable person feels as though some protective action is required to prevent sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking. Bystanders, if active, can prevent harm or intervene before a situation gets worse. Examples of active bystander intervention include: not leaving an overly intoxicated person in a bar/party alone, walking a classmate to his/her car after class, calling police when a potentially violent situation is unfolding, not leaving an unconscious person alone or intervening when someone is being belittled, degraded or emotionally abused (walking victim away from abuser, contacting others for help like Sandburg Public Safety, academic advisors, faculty or a coach.

Consent: means a freely given agreement to the act of sexual penetration or sexual conduct in question. Lack of verbal or physical resistance or submission by the victim resulting from the use of force or threat of force by the accused shall not constitute consent. The manner of dress of the victim at the time of the offense shall not constitute consent.

Domestic violence: Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim is dating violence. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors:

• the length of the relationship
• the type of relationship
• the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship

Sexual assault: A person commits criminal sexual assault if that person commits an act of sexual penetration and:

1. uses force or threat of force;
2. knows that the victim is unable to understand the nature of the act or is unable to give knowing consent;
3. is a family member of the victim, and the victim is under 18 years of age; or
4. is 17 years of age or over and holds a position.

Stalking: A person commits stalking when he or she knowingly engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific person, and he or she know or should know that this course of conduct would cause a reasonable person to:

1. fear for his or her safety or the safety of a third person; or
2. suffer other emotional distress.

Harassment, Discrimination (Including Sexual Misconduct), and Retaliation On-Line Complaint Form

Prior to completing this form, please review the institution's policy.

This form is designed to provide students, employees, faculty, vendors, visitors, or others with an on-line method to report specific information related to an alleged incident(s) of discrimination, harassment (including sexual misconduct), or retaliation.

The institution will use the information provided to begin an investigation, which may include contacting the complainant, respondent, and/or any potential witnesses. However, if the report does not contain specific information, the institution's investigation and response may be limited.​

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