Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

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

If the incident(s) involve sexual assault or rape and you are seeking medical attention, you are encouraged to immediately contact Department of Public Safety (DPS) at (708) 534-4900 or dial 911.

About Medical Care after Sexual Assault:
Your physical and emotional safety are first and foremost. Make the choices that feel best for you.

Some medical concerns may not be immediately apparent, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), internal injuries and pregnancy. Even if you do not wish to have a doctor or nurse collect evidence for an investigation, seeking prompt medical evaluation may be beneficial. Some medications, such as emergency contraception, are most effective when administered as soon as possible. If you think that you may want to pursue criminal charges immediately or in the future, a forensic exam conducted soon after an assault may yield valuable evidence.

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.

If you believe you may have experienced harassment or assault, but are unsure of whether it was a violation of GSU sexual harassment policy, you should contact the Title IX Coordinator.  It is imperative that all accounts of harassment are reported and investigated, in order to maintain the safety of the GSU community. The Title IX Coordinator will help clearly define acts that constitute sexual misconduct, and provide information regarding options.

Students who, in good faith, report what they believe to be sexual harassment, or who cooperate in any investigation, will not be subjected to retaliation.  Any student who believes he or she has been the victim of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment or cooperating in an investigation should immediately contact the Title IX Coordinator.

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.

Before reporting, it is important to know that different people on campus have different reporting responsibilities and different abilities to maintain confidentiality, depending on their roles.  We encourage you to contact the Title IX Coordinator because they is best equipped to help explain your options.  Please know that if you contact the Title IX Coordinator only people that need to know will be told.

The University will make reasonable and appropriate efforts to preserve the Complainant’s and/or Respondent’s privacy and to protect the confidentiality of information. Should an Complainant request confidentiality, the Title IX Coordinator will inform the Complainant that the University’s ability to respond may therefore be limited.

No, not unless you tell them.  Whether you are the complainant or the accused, the University’s primary relationship is to the student and not to the parent.  However, in the event of major medical, disciplinary, or academic jeopardy, students are strongly encouraged to inform their parents.  University officials will directly inform parents when requested to do so by the student.  The University also reserves the right to inform parents where permitted by FERPA, including in a life threatening situation.

While you are not required to name the perpetrator, the University still has an obligation to investigate.  Without the name of the accused, the University is limited in its ability to respond to allegations, offer remedies for the complainant, and to sanction the accused.  Sometimes victims are hesitant to report for fear of retaliation.  GSU vigorously enforces a policy of no retaliation.

Do not contact the alleged victim.  If you have not already been contacted by the Title IX Officer, you may want to contact that office, which can explain the University’s procedures for addressing sexual misconduct complaints.  You may also want to talk confidentially to a counselor or seek other community assistance.

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.