Complaint Process for Title IX
To report a Title IX complaint, please complete the reporting form. Also refer to Board Policy Administrative Procedure AP 7D4A):
Where the complaint involves a minor, the District will comply with California mandated reporting requirements.
All responsible employees are required to report all actual or suspected sexual misconduct to the Title IX Officer immediately. A responsible employee is any employee who has the authority to take action to redress sexual misconduct, who has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator, or whom a student or employee could reasonably believe has this authority or duty. The District is on notice if a responsible employee knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, about the sexual misconduct.
Any person may make a complaint by contacting the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator directly. The District's Title IX Coordinator is the Interim Director, Human Resources Dena Rhoades at 2100 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield California 93301, (661) 336-5100. The Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Cerro Coso Community College is the College Human Resources Manager at 3000 College Heights Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. The Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator will receive all relevant details about the alleged sexual misconduct reported to the District responsible employee in order to determine what occurred and how to resolve the situation. This includes the names of alleged victim and alleged perpetrator (if known), and the date, time, and location of the alleged sexual misconduct.
Upon Receiving the Complaint - Health and Safety:
The Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator will make an immediate assessment concerning the health and safety of the victim and campus community as a whole. The District will provide the reporting party and responding party with immediate, interim measures necessary to protect his/her health and safety. These immediate, interim measures may include providing an escort to ensure that the victim can move safely between classes, ensuring that the victim and perpetrator do not attend the same classes or work in the same area, preventing offending third parties from entering campus, providing counseling services or a referral to counseling services, providing academic support services, such as tutoring, arranging for a victim to retake a course or withdraw from a course without penalty, including ensuring that any changes do not adversely affect the victims' academic record, and reviewing any disciplinary actions taken against the victim to see if there is a causal connection between the harassment, discrimination, or retaliation and the misconduct that may have resulted in the victim being disciplined.
Where the District determines that there is a substantial threat to the campus community, it will issue a timely warning. The District will issue the warning according to District Administrative Procedures. The District will not to disclose the victim's name or other identifying information when issuing the warning.
Communicating that the Conduct is Unwelcome:
The employee or student may, but is not required to let the offending person know immediately and firmly that the conduct or behavior is unwelcome, offensive, in poor taste, or inappropriate. This is not required.
Intake and Processing of the Complaint:
If the District determines that a sexual misconduct complaint is appropriate for informal resolution, it may permit an informal resolution, including mediation. All parties, including the complainant and respondent, must receive full disclosure of the allegations and information about options for formal resolution before voluntarily agreeing to participate in an informal resolution. If parties agree to an informal resolution, the District does not have to complete a full investigation and adjudication of a report of sexual misconduct.
Confidentiality:
Where the victim requests confidentiality regarding a reportable incident, the District will take all reasonable steps to comply with the victim's request or inform the victim when it cannot ensure confidentiality. The District will not disclose the name of the victim unless the victim provides written consent after being informed of his/her right to have 52 the information withheld. Where the victim insists that the District not disclose his/her name or other identifiable information to the alleged perpetrator, the District will inform the victim that its ability to respond will be limited. The District will evaluate this request in the context of its responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all employees and students. When weighing a request for confidentiality against the seriousness of the alleged harassment, the Title IX Coordinator will take the factors listed above into consideration.
Fact-Finding Investigation:
Where the victim has filed a criminal complaint with local law enforcement, the District will consider what information the District is able to share, pursuant to state and federal law, to ensure that victims are not unnecessarily required to give multiple statements about a traumatic event. The District will continue to conduct its own thorough, reliable, prompt, and impartial investigation. The District will normally complete its sexual misconduct investigation within 90 days of receiving the complaint, unless extended by the Title IX Coordinator for good cause. The Title IX Coordinator will notify the victim and accused in writing of the reason for the extension and the projected new timeline.
The victim and accused will have equal opportunity to present relevant witnesses and other evidence to the District investigator. The District will provide the same opportunities to the victim and accused.
The results of the fact-finding investigation will be set out in a formal investigative report which will include the requirements listed above and a credibility determination of the victim, accused, and witnesses.
Reporting to California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office:
The District considers all sexual misconduct complaints to be formal complaints. The Title IX Coordinator or Chancellor must notify the State Chancellor's Office of any sexual misconduct complaints. Upon completing the investigation, the District shall forward to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office a copy of the investigative report and administrative determination and to the complainant a copy or summary of the investigative report and administrative determination.
