Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

Members of the university community who may have experienced sexual misconduct have the right to choose whether or not to report the incident to the University or law enforcement, and, in most circumstances, have the right to choose whether or not to pursue a sexual misconduct complaint with the University once the University receives a report.

GSU encourages individuals to make a report of the incident(s) in a timely manner by contacting the Title IX Coordinator. There is no time limit for reporting prohibited conduct to the University under this policy; however, a delay in reporting may hinder the University’s ability to respond.

Employees of the university community who have information about sexual misconduct are, in many cases, required to report information to the Title IX Coordinator.

• Responsible employees must immediately report allegations or disclosures of sexual misconduct involving students to the Title IX Office, including identification of persons reporting as victims and persons accused, along with other relevant information. Contact the Title IX Coordinator if you need assistance in determining whether you are a responsible employee with reporting obligations. The following staff are considered responsible employees who must report such allegation(s) to the Title IX Coordinator:
  
  • Faculty and teaching staff
  • Unit/department heads
  • Staff within the offices of University Housing, Student Affairs & Enrollment Management, Deans, and Associate Provosts, and other administrators.
   
• If you are NOT a Responsible Employee, you may report an incident without disclosing anyone’s name or requesting any action. Please note that choosing to make an anonymous report can significantly limit the ability of the university to respond. This information will be used for statistical purposes as well as for enhancing understanding of our campus climate so that we may strengthen sexual misconduct response and prevention efforts.

Governors State University (GSU) will not tolerate sexual misconduct of its students or employees and will investigate all allegations of misconduct. Reports will be investigated promptly. As stated above, please retain any notes, pictures, or other documents that may relate to the complaint. Where sexual misconduct is found, steps will be taken to end it immediately.

Most university employees, unless specifically exempted, must immediately report allegations or disclosures of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator.

Students can speak confidentially to counselors and healthcare providers in the Health and Student Counseling Center.

Employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program & Counseling (EAP), which is a free and confidential resource. 

Confidential YWCA Rape Crisis Hotline
Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Rape Crisis Hotline provides survivors of sexual assault/abuse and their significant others immediate support, crisis intervention and referrals for the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

• Call 888-293-2080 in Chicago Metropolitan Area
• Call 630-971-3927 in DuPage County
• Call 708-748-5672 in the South Suburbs

Sexual Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, sexual and gender-based harassment, Sexual Violence, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence and Stalking. Sexual Misconduct includes the full range of unlawful sex-based misconduct under Illinois and federal law, regardless of whether it is specifically defined in this policy.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or academic environment.

Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:  

• The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee. A student can be harassed by teachers, other students, or anyone else with whom the student interacts while at school or while engaging in school-related activities.
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
• Uunlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with the individual’s work or educational performance; of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working and/or learning environment; or of interfering with one’s ability to participate in or benefit from an education program or activity.
• The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.   

Examples of sexual harassment:

• Pressure for sexual activity
• Requests for sexual favors
• Unwelcome patting, hugging or touching of a person’s body, hair or clothing, intentionally brushing up against someone
• Sexual innuendos, gestures, looks, jokes or comments
• Disparaging remarks to a person about their gender or body; claiming that a person is gay or lesbian
• Spreading sexual rumors about a person
• Displaying or transmitting sexually suggestive electronic content, including emails and texts
• Giving unwelcome personal gifts
• Sexual assault

• Sexual harassment which is ignored often escalates. It is helpful to directly inform the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop. Alert other people about the behavior. Doing this will provide you with support and can be important evidence later. Use any complaint mechanism or grievance system available and/or in place.
• Keep a detailed written record of the harassment. Record what happened, when, where, who else was present, and how you reacted. Save any notes, pictures, or other documents you receive from the harasser.
• Report the behavior. Contact the Title IX Coordinator to schedule an initial appointment to discuss your situation. We normally set aside an hour to speak with you. When you visit the Title IX Office, we will ask you to describe your situation and your view of what is going on, so that we can inform you of your options. No one will force you to take any action you do not want to take.

Consent is informed, freely given, and a mutually understood agreement to sexual activity. Consent requires an affirmative act or statement by each person; a person’s lack of verbal or physical resistance or submission resulting from the use or threat of force does not constitute consent.

• If coercion, intimidation, threats and/or physical force are used, there is no consent.
• If a person is under age, mentally or physically incapacitated or impaired so that the person cannot understand the fact, nature or extent of the sexual situation, there is no consent; this includes conditions due to alcohol or drug consumption or being asleep or unconscious.
• A person’s manner of dress does not constitute consent.
• A participants consent to past sexual activity does not constitute consent to future sexual activity, their consent to sexual activity with one person does not constitute consent to engage in sexual activity with another and consent may be withdrawn at any time.
• Whether one has taken advantage of a position of influence over another may be a factor in determining consent

More information on consent is available through the Counseling Center Website

If you're interested in having a forensic exam:

• It's best not to shower, bathe, wash your hands, eat, drink or brush your teeth.
• If possible, place each item of clothing in a separate paper bag (no plastic).
• Leave the area where the assault occurred undisturbed.

You can call 911 for a police response and accompaniment to medical care. Evidence collection is done in the county where the assault occurred, usually within the first 72 hours following an assault (the earlier, the better).

If someone you know within the GSU community has experienced sexual misconduct, we can help you help them. Sometimes, the most valuable advice comes from someone the individual already trusts. Whether you’re a friend, roommate, parent, or concerned member of our faculty or staff, we can point you to resources that you can share, as well as provide support for you through the process.

Listen

• Confirm the person’s safety. Ask the person, “Are you safe right now?” If they say no, help them create a plan to get to a safe place. Call 911 if necessary.
• Provide nonjudgmental support. Your role is not to determine whether or not something occurred. Your primary responsibility is to remain supportive, while referring the person to others who are trained in providing assistance and/or intervening.

Refer

• Help the person get medical care if needed.
• Help the person consider whether to make a report with the police or with the University.
• Direct the person to on-campus or off-campus confidential counseling and advocacy resources.
• Let the person know who at GSU they can contact to request protective measures and accommodations such as no-contact directives, housing relocation, adjustment of schedules, time off, etc.
• Offer resources and information without pressure or judgment about their decisions.
• If the person wants to seek medical attention or report the assault, offer to accompany them wherever they need to go (e.g., hospital, police station, campus security, etc.).

Report (as required)

• If you are a responsible employee, inform the person of your obligation to report information to the university's Title IX Coordinator.

Additional tips on supporting someone impacted by sexual violence are available through the RAINN website.

The University seeks to remove any barriers to reporting sexual misconduct The University will generally offer any student, whether the Complainant or a third party, who reports sexual assault, sexual misconduct or relationship violence limited immunity from being charged for policy violations related to the personal use of alcohol or other drugs, provided that any such violations did not and do not place the health and safety of another person at risk. The University may choose, however, to pursue educational or therapeutic remedies for those individuals.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual harassment and/or assault or other misconduct and are in need to of immediate help, please contact one of the following.  

Department of Public Safety (DPS)
C-1375
(Next door to Human Resources Dept.)
24-Hour Number: (708) 534-4900

Campus Emergencies

Dial ext. 911 from any campus phone (not pay phones). Calls go directly to DPS dispatch.

• Dial 911 on any cell or pay phone. Calls will go directly to University Park Police and DPS will also be notified.
• From any campus emergency phones (located throughout campus buildings and in the parking areas), push the emergency button. Calls go directly to DPS.

Community Resources

St. James Hospital and Health Center
20201 Crawford Ave., Olympia Fields, IL 60461
708.747.4000
 
YWCA South Suburban Center
320 West 202nd St., Chicago Heights, Illinois 60411
708.754.0486

YWCA Rape Crisis Hotline
Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Rape Crisis Hotlines provides survivors of sexual assault/abuse and their significant others immediate support, crisis intervention and referrals for the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

• Call 888-293-2080 in Chicago Metropolitan Area
• Call 630-971-3927 in DuPage County
• Call 708-748-5672 in the South Suburbs

• National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE
• National Sexual Assault Online Chat: https://ohl.rainn.org/online

If you would like more information about Title IX and the various acts that are relevant to Title IX, we encourage you to visit any of the sites provided below.  We have also provided a site to assist you in supporting a survivor.  If you have questions, please feel free to email TitleIXOfficer@govst.edu and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Know Your IX is a campaign that aims to educate all college students in the U.S. about their rights under Title IX. Founded in 2013, Know Your IX is a national survivor-run, student-driven campaign to end campus sexual violence. For more information on your Title IX rights or to learn more about Know Your IX please visit their website here.