Responsible Employees are required to notify the university’s Title IX Coordinator when they learn of (1) sexual misconduct involving any member of the university community, or (2) any other sexual misconduct on campus or involving any MSU program or activity. To that end, Responsible Employees should keep the following in mind:
- Reporting should be prompt. A Responsible Employee should report an incident of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator as soon as is practical under the circumstances.
- Reporting is not discretionary. The obligation to report sexual misconduct is not discretionary. A Responsible Employee may not, for example, decide that a matter is not sufficiently serious to report. That is a decision for the Title IX Coordinator and appropriate university officials to make.
- Independent responses are prohibited. Under no circumstances may any employee, department, organization, or division of the university attempt to resolve unilaterally a complaint of sexual misconduct that is required to be reported under university policy. The Responsible Employee must always notify the Title IX Coordinator, who will determine the correct response after consultation with appropriate officials.
- Inform students of your obligations. Many Responsible Employees can reasonably anticipate students reporting sexual misconduct to them. The university encourages these employees to inform students of their reporting obligations in advance. When sexual misconduct is actually reported, the employee should tell the reporting person as early in the conversation as possible that any information provided will have to be relayed to the Title IX Coordinator, and that if the reporting person prefers to keep the information confidential, the university has resources such as the Office of Survivor Support, the Student Counseling Center, and Longest Health Center that can provide confidential assistance.
- Tell the reporting person what will happen next. A Responsible Employees should tell the person reporting sexual misconduct (1) that they will be informing the Title IX Coordinator of the incident; (2) why they are sharing this information—i.e., their obligation to inform those on campus in a position to respond; and (3) that the university will contact them to provide additional information and support.
- Do not share the information with others. Once you have informed the Title IX Coordinator, your reporting duties are complete. You may not share the information with anyone else. If your supervisor or someone you report to expects to be notified of such reports, you may inform them that you have relayed a complaint to the Title IX Coordinator, and that they may contact the coordinator directly with questions or concerns.