Many of Cottey’s employees (faculty, staff, administrators) are expected to report actual or suspected sexual harassment or retaliation to appropriate officials immediately, though there are some limited exceptions.
To make informed choices, it is important to be aware of confidentiality and mandatory reporting requirements when consulting campus resources. On campus, some resources may maintain confidentiality and are not required to report actual or suspected sexual harassment or retaliation. They may offer options and resources without any obligation to inform an outside agency or campus official unless a Complainant has requested the information be shared.
If a Complainant expects formal action in response to their allegations, reporting to any Mandated Reporter can connect them with resources to report crimes and/or policy violations, and these employees will immediately pass reports to the Title IX Coordinator (and/or police if desired by the Complainant), who will take action when an incident is reported to them.
The following sections describe the reporting options at Cottey for a Complainant or third party (including parents/guardians when appropriate).
Confidential Resources
If a Complainant would like the details of an incident to be kept confidential, the Complainant may speak with
- Blaklee Sanders, Director of Health and Counseling Services
- Robin Connor, Student Wellness Coordinator
- Gracie Travis, Head Athletic Trainer
- Cottey’s Contracted Medical Providers
- Off-campus (non-employees):
- Licensed professional counselors and other medical providers
- Local rape crisis counselors
- Domestic violence resources
- Local or state assistance agencies
- Clergy/Chaplains
- Attorneys
All the above-listed individuals will maintain confidentiality when acting under the scope of their licensure, professional ethics, and/or professional credentials, except in extreme cases of the immediacy of threat or danger or abuse of a minor or when required to disclose by law or court order.
Campus counselors are available for students to help free of charge and may be consulted on an emergency basis during normal business hours. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available for employees.
Employees who are confidential and who receive reports within the scope of their confidential roles will timely submit anonymous statistical information for Clery Act purposes unless they believe it would be harmful to their client, patient, or parishioner.
Anonymous Notice to Mandated Reporters
At the request of a Complainant, notice may be given by a Mandated Reporter to the Title IX Coordinator anonymously, without identification of the Complainant. The Mandated Reporter cannot remain anonymous themselves.
If a Complainant has requested that a Mandated Reporter maintain the Complainant’s anonymity, the Mandated Reporter may do so unless it is reasonable to believe that a compelling threat to health or safety could exist. The Mandated Reporter can consult with the Title IX Coordinator on that assessment without revealing personally identifiable information.
Anonymous notice will be investigated by Cottey to the extent possible, both to assess the underlying allegation(s) and to determine if supportive measures or remedies can be provided.
However, anonymous notice typically limits Cottey’s ability to investigate, respond, and provide remedies, depending on what information is shared.
When a Complainant has made a request for anonymity, the Complainant’s personally identifiable information may be withheld by a Mandated Reporter, but all other details must be shared with the Title IX Coordinator. Mandated reporters may not be able to maintain requests for anonymity for Complainants who are minors, elderly, and/or disabled, depending on state reporting of abuse requirements.
Mandated Reporters and Formal Notice/Complaints
Many employees of Cottey are Mandated Reporters and must promptly share with the Title IX Coordinator all known details of a report made to them in the course of their employment.
Employees designated as mandatory reporters must also promptly share all details of behaviors under this policy that they observe or have knowledge of, even if not reported to them by a Complainant or third party.
Complainants may want to carefully consider whether they share personally identifiable details with non-confidential Mandated Reporters, as those details must be shared with the Title IX Coordinator.
Generally, disclosures in climate surveys, classroom writing assignments or discussions, human subjects research, or at events such as Take Back the Night marches or speak-outs do not provide notice that must be reported to the Coordinator by employees unless the Complainant clearly indicates that they desire a report to be made or a seek a specific response from Cottey.
Supportive measures may be offered as the result of such disclosures without formal Cottey action.
Failure of a Mandated Reporter, as described above in this section, to report an incident of sexual harassment or retaliation of which they become aware is a violation of Cottey policy and can be subject to disciplinary action for failure to comply.
Though this may seem obvious, when a Mandated Reporter is engaged in harassment or other violations of this policy, they still have a duty to report their own misconduct, though Cottey is technically not on notice when a harasser is also a Mandated Reporter unless the harasser does, in fact, report themselves.
Finally, it is important to clarify that a Mandated Reporter who is themselves a target of harassment or other misconduct under this policy is not required to report their own experience, though they are, of course, encouraged to do so.