The Title IX Coordinator manages the Title IX process, and acts with independence and authority free from bias and conflicts of interest. The Title IX Coordinator oversees all resolutions under this policy and these procedures. The members of the Title IX Team are vetted and trained to ensure they are not biased for or against any party in a specific case, or for or against Complainants and/or Respondents, generally.
To raise any concern involving bias or conflict of interest by the Title IX Coordinator, contact Mikiba Morehead, Associate Dean of Title IX and Bias Response, at titleix@whittier.edu. Concerns of bias or a potential conflict of interest by any other Title IX Team member should be raised with the Title IX Coordinator.
Reports of misconduct or discrimination committed by the Title IX Coordinator should be reported to contact Mikiba Morehead, Associate Dean of Title IX and Bias Response, at titleix@whittier.edu or designee. Reports of misconduct or discrimination committed by any other Title IX Team member should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator.
The College has determined that the following administrators are Officials with Authority to address and correct harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation. Complaints or notice of alleged policy violations, or inquiries about or concerns regarding this policy and procedures, may be made internally to:
Interim Title IX and Bias Coordinator She/Her/Hers titleix@whittier.edu
Deputy Title IX Coordinator Vice President and Dean of Faculty Mendenhall, First Floor sjohnston@whittier.edu 562.907.4204
Deputy Title IX Coordinator Vice President, Chief Administration Officer Campus Center, 2nd Floor cjoseph@whittier.edu 562.907.4830
Deputy Title IX Coordinator Associate Athletic Director tmccormi@whittier.edu 562.907.4935
Director of Campus Safety jpadilla@whittier.edu 562.907.4211
Director of Athletics rcarter@whittier.edu 562.907.4268
In addition, all other Senior Administrators at Whittier College are Officials with Authority.
The College has also classified faculty, staff, and student employees when working as Mandated Reporters of any knowledge they have that a member of the community is experiencing harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation. The section below on Mandated Reporting details which students and employees have this responsibility and their duties, accordingly.
Inquiries may be made externally to:
U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
Customer Service Hotline: 800.421.3481 Facsimile: 202.453.6012 TDD#: 877.521.2172 OCR@ed.gov Office of Civil Rights website
50 Beale Street, Suite 7200 San Francisco, CA 94105
Customer Service Hotline: 415.486.5555 Facsimile: 415.486.5570TDD#: 877.521.2172 OCR.SanFrancisco@ed.gov Office of Civil Rights website
Notice or complaints of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation may be made using any of the following options:
Anonymous reports are accepted but can give rise to a need to investigate to determine if the parties can be identified. If not, no further action is taken. The College tries to provide supportive measures to all Complainants, which may be impossible with an anonymous report where the Complainant cannot be identified.
Because reporting carries no obligation to initiate a formal response, and as the College respects Complainant requests to dismiss complaints unless there is a compelling threat to health and/or safety of the College. The Complainant is largely in control and should not fear a loss of privacy by making a report that allows the College to discuss and/or provide supportive measures.
A Formal Complaint means a document submitted or signed by the Complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator alleging a policy violation by a Respondent and requesting that the College investigate the allegation(s). A complaint may be filed with the Title IX Coordinator in person, by mail, or by electronic mail, by using the contact information in the section immediately above, or as described in this section. As used in this paragraph, the phrase “document filed by a Complainant” means a document or electronic submission (such as by electronic mail or through an online portal provided for this purpose by the College that contains the Complainant’s physical or digital signature, or otherwise indicates that the Complainant is the person filing the complaint, and requests that the College investigate the allegations.
If notice is submitted in a form that does not meet this standard, the Title IX Coordinator will contact the Complainant to ensure that it is filed correctly.
The College will implement comprehensive prevention and outreach programs to address issues of sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
These programs will include but are not limited to, information about the College's policies and procedures, rights and responsibilities, the practical implications of an affirmative consent standard, empowerment programming, awareness-raising campaigns, primary prevention, bystander intervention, and risk reduction programs. Prevention and outreach programs are included as part of incoming student orientation. In addition, all employees will complete ongoing prevention and intervention training and education.
The Title IX Coordinator will make supportive measures available to the parties upon receiving notice or a complaint.
At the time that supportive measures are offered, the College will inform the Complainant, in writing, that they may file a formal complaint with the College either at that time or in the future if they have not done so already. The Title IX Coordinator will work with the Complainant to ensure that their wishes are considered with respect to the supportive measures that are planned and implemented.
These actions may include, but are not limited to:
Violations of No Contact Directives will be referred to appropriate student or employee conduct processes for enforcement.
The College can act to remove a student Respondent entirely or partially from its education program or activities on an emergency basis when an individualized safety and risk analysis has determined that an immediate threat to the physical health or safety of any student or other individual justifies removal.
This risk analysis is performed by the Title IX Coordinator in conjunction with other members of the College staff.
In all cases in which an emergency removal is imposed, the student will be given notice of the action and the option to request to meet with the Title IX Coordinator prior to such action/removal being imposed, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, to show cause why the action/removal should not be implemented or should be modified.
This meeting is not a hearing on the merits of the allegation(s), but rather is an administrative process intended to determine solely whether the emergency removal is appropriate. When this meeting is not requested in a timely manner, objections to the emergency removal will be deemed waived. A Complainant and their Advisor may be permitted to participate in this meeting if the Title IX Coordinator determines it is equitable to do so. This section also applies to any restrictions that a coach or athletic administrator may place on a student-athlete arising from allegations related to Title IX. There is no appeal process for emergency removal decisions.
A Respondent may be accompanied by an Advisor of their choice when meeting with the Title IX Coordinator for the show cause meeting. The Respondent will be given access to a written summary of the basis for the emergency removal prior to the meeting to allow for adequate preparation.
The Title IX Coordinator has sole discretion under this policy to implement or stay an emergency removal and to determine the conditions and duration. Violation of an emergency removal under this policy will be grounds for discipline, which may include expulsion.
The College will implement the least restrictive emergency actions possible in light of the circumstances and safety concerns. As determined by the Title IX Coordinator, these actions could include, but are not limited to: removing a student from a residence hall, restricting a student’s access to or use of facilities or equipment, allowing a student to withdraw or take grades of incomplete without financial penalty, authorizing an administrative leave, and suspending a student’s participation in extracurricular activities, student employment, student organizational leadership, or intercollegiate/intramural athletics.
At the discretion of the Title IX Coordinator, alternative coursework options may be pursued to ensure as minimal an academic impact as possible on the parties.
All allegations are acted upon promptly by the College once it has received notice or a formal complaint.
Complaints can take 60-90 business days to resolve, typically. There are always exceptions and extenuating circumstances that can cause a resolution to take longer, but the College will avoid all undue delays within its control.
Any time the general timeframes for resolution outlined in College procedures will be delayed, the College will provide written notice to the parties of the delay, the cause of the delay, and an estimate of the anticipated additional time that will be needed as a result of the delay.
Every effort is made by the College to preserve the privacy of reports.
The College will not share the identity of any individual who has made a report or complaint of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation; any Complainant, any individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of sex discrimination, any Respondent, or any witness, except as permitted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g; FERPA regulations, 34 CFR part 99; or as required by law; or to carry out the purposes of 34 CFR Part 106, including the conducting of any investigation, hearing, or grievance proceeding arising under these policies and procedures.
The College reserves the right to determine which College officials have a legitimate educational interest in being informed about incidents that fall within this policy, pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Only a small group of officials who need to know will typically be told about the complaint. Information will be shared as necessary with Investigators, Hearing Panel members , witnesses, and the parties. The circle of people with this knowledge will be kept as tight as possible to preserve the parties’ rights and privacy.
The College may contact parents/guardians to inform them of situations in which there is a significant and articulable health and/or safety risk, but will usually consult with the student first before doing so.
Confidentiality and mandated reporting are addressed more specifically in this policy.
This policy applies to the education program and activities of the College to conduct that takes place on the campus or on property owned or controlled by the College, at the College-sponsored events, or in buildings owned or controlled by the College recognized student organizations.
The Respondent must be a member of the College community in order for its policies to apply.
This policy can also be applicable to the effects of off-campus misconduct that effectively deprive someone of access to a College educational program. The College may also extend jurisdiction to off-campus and/or to online conduct when the Title IX Coordinator determines that the conduct affects a substantial College interest.
Regardless of where the conduct occurred, the College will address notice/complaints to determine whether the conduct occurred in the context of its employment or educational program or activity and/or has continuing effects on campus or in an off-campus sponsored program or activity. A substantial College interest includes:
If the Respondent is unknown or is not a member of the College community, the Title IX Coordinator will assist the Complainant in identifying appropriate campus and local resources and support options and/or, when criminal conduct is alleged, in contacting local or campus law enforcement if the individual would like to file a police report.
Further, even when the Respondent is not a member of the College’s community, supportive measures, remedies, and resources may be accessible to the Complainant by contacting the Title IX Coordinator
In addition, the College may take other actions as appropriate to protect the Complainant against third parties, such as barring individuals from College property and/or events.
All vendors serving the College through third-party contracts are subject to the policies and procedures of their employers, or to these policies and procedures to which their employer has agreed to be bound by their contracts].
When the Respondent is enrolled in or employed by another institution, the Title IX Coordinator can assist the Complainant in liaising with the appropriate individual at that institution, as it may be possible to allege violations through that institution’s policies.
Similarly, the Title IX Coordinator may be able to assist and support a student Complainant who experiences discrimination in an externship, study abroad program, or other environment external to the College where sexual harassment or nondiscrimination policies and procedures of the facilitating or host organization may give recourse to the Complainant.
There is no time limitation on providing notice/complaints to the Title IX Coordinator.
However, if the Respondent is no longer subject to the College’s jurisdiction and/or significant time has passed, the ability to investigate, respond, and provide remedies may be more limited or impossible.
Acting on notice/complaints significantly impacted by the passage of time (including, but not limited to, the rescission or revision of policy) is at the discretion of the Title IX Coordinator, who may document allegations for future reference, offer supportive measures and/or remedies, and/or engage in informal or formal action, as appropriate.
This policy was updated on July 31, 2024.
