Faculty Reporting Obligations
Responsible Employee Reporting Requirements
Faculty, graduate student assistants, and most staff are designated as Responsible Employees under the following California State Laws and CSU Executive Orders. Specific policy language regarding the duty to report is provided below:
With the exception of confidential advocates and counselors, all faculty and staff are designated as responsible employees who have the duty to report sexual harassment (including rape, sexual battery, prostituting or trafficking of another person, non-consensual pornography, and other forms of sexual violence) to an appropriate school official (i.e., the Title IX Coordinator). Responsible employees are required to report all incidents that are connected to educational programs and activities, both on and off-campus. They are also required to report incidents that are not connected to educational programs and activities, if the incident could contribute to a hostile educational environment or otherwise interfere with a student’s access to education.
CSU Executive Orders 1096 and CSU Executive Orders 1097
Any employee who knows or has reason to know of allegations or acts of sexual misconduct, dating violence, stalking, harassment, or sex discrimination have a duty to disclose all information regarding such incidents to the Title IX Coordinator. This includes the names of the parties, even when the person has requested anonymity. The only exception to this policy is for employees who have been designated as confidential employees (e.g., counselors, advocates, physicians, clergy, union representatives acting in their as a union representative).
Failure to report known incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment, dating/domestic violence, or stalking to the Title IX Coordinator can result in sanctions and possible employment termination.
Reports may be completed online by completing the CSULB Equity & Diversity Incident Reporting Form. When completing this form, you will be asked to provide:
- Your name and contact information
- The date, time, and location of the incident
- The names and contact information for all involved parties
- A summary of the incident
- Any supporting documentation
Responsible Employees must report all information that has been disclosed to them, including the students’ names, even if the student asks them not to.
Responsible Employees SHOULD NOT ask students for additional details, unless the student freely and willingly wishes to share this information. If the student has not spontaneously provided the information requested on the form, you may leave those sections blank. The Title IX Coordinator will follow up with students to provide information on accommodations and other support and to explain reporting options, and but students DO NOT have to respond to these inquiries.
Incidents may also be reported directly to the Title IX Coordinator using the contact information below:
Larisa Hamada, Title IX Coordinator, Student Affairs
CSULB Title IX
Larisa.Hamada@csulb.edu, (562)985-8256
Office of Equity & Diversity, Foundation Building, Suite 120
Police Reporting Requirements
All employees of the university are also required to ensure campus safety and must report threats to the safety of others. Disclosures that meet the following criteria must be immediately reported to the University Police:
- Assaults against students under the age of 18 (minor)
- Incidents that are actively happening (e.g., you observe a student hitting their partner)
- Incidents that involve ongoing danger to the victim (e.g., repeated threats of physical harm)
Reports made to the University Police will be investigated by the police. The police will report all known facts about the incident, including the identity of the perpetrator (if known), to the Title IX Coordinator. Victims of sexual assault may request confidentiality (meaning their name will not be shared with the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office or released publically), but these confidentiality protections do not extend to victims of intimate partner violence, stalking, or harassment.
To report an incident to the university police, contact:
CSULB University Police Department
CSULB University Police Website
Non-Emergency Line: 562-985-4101
Emergencies: 911 or Text-to-911
Main station: Across from Student Recreation & Wellness Center on Palo Verde
Substation: Outdoor courtyard on the 2nd floor of the University Student Union (USU 239)
Explaining Reporting Requirements to Students
Syllabi Statement
To explain faculty reporting requirements to students ahead of time, please insert the following statement into your syllabi and review this information in class. By emphasizing your obligation to report at the beginning of class, you are enabling students to make informed decisions about whether to disclose experiences of sexual assault, rape, dating/domestic violence, and stalking or not. Failing to warn students of your reporting obligations ahead of time can lead students to feel betrayed by your obligation to report their information.
Sexual Assault, Rape, Dating/Domestic Violence, & Stalking
Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the Campus Confidential Advocate is available to help. Jaqueline Urtez (e: advocate@csulb.edu, p: (562) 985-2668) can provide free and confidential support, accommodations, and referrals for victims without having to report the assault to campus authorities. While students are welcome to discuss assaults with faculty or disclose such experiences in class discussions or assignments, both faculty and teaching assistants are responsible employees who are required to report all known incidents of sexual harassment/misconduct to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office for follow-up. Reporting this information will result in the student being contacted by the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office with information on accommodations and reporting options for possible investigation. Students do not need to respond to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office, but students who do wish to report the assault for possible investigation are encouraged to contact the Campus Confidential Advocate, who can help them through the reporting process, or they can report the assault directly to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office by completing an online reporting form on the Title IX website or contacting the Office of Equity & Diversity at OED@csulb.edu.
What to Say When Students Disclose in Conversation (e.g., office hours, phone)
If a student tells you about an incident of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking or harassment, gently interrupt them to let them know of your reporting obligation. Here is how you can explain this:
- Before you go into greater detail, I want you to know that I am going to have to report what you have already told me to the Office of Equity & Diversity. Someone from the Office of Equity & Diversity will follow up with you to offer accommodations and talk to you about a possible investigation. If you do not want any accommodations or do not want to participate in an investigation, you DO NOT have to respond to their email, and they will stop emailing you after 2-3 attempts.
- If you would like to receive support and accommodations without talking to the Office of Equity & Diversity, you may contact the Campus Confidential Advocate instead. The Campus Confidential Advocate can provide FREE and CONFIDENTIAL advice, support, and accommodations, and nothing you tell the advocate will be reported to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office.
- You may also choose to talk to a counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services, the Long Beach Trauma Recovery Center, or the Campus Confidential Advocate. These services are also FREE and CONFIDENTIAL; nothing you tell a counselor will be reported to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office.
What to Say When Students Disclose in Writing (e.g., email, an assignment)
If a student writes about an incident of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, or harassment, first try talking to them privately after class or in your office using the script above. If they do not come to class after sending an email, respond to their email letting them know that you have to contact the Title IX Coordinator with the information they shared. Here is how you can write this:
I am so sorry to hear about what you have been through, and I appreciate your willingness to share this with me.Have you contacted the Title IX Coordinator about this incident? The Title IX Coordinator at the Office of Equity & Diversity can provide accommodations and can talk to you about your options moving forward.
Because I am a designated responsible employee, I will need to report the basic details of what you’ve told me to the Office of Equity & Diversity.The Office of Equity & Diversity will then reach out to you with options for making a formal complaint, and explain how they can provide Supportive Measures even without filing a complaint,but you do not have to respond to their emails if you don’t want to.
You can also obtain free and confidential advice, support, and accommodations from the Campus Confidential Advocate without having to talk to the Office of Equity & Diversity. The Campus Confidential Advocate can be reached by email at advocate@csulb.edu or by phone at 562-985-2668. Anything you share with the Campus Confidential Advocate will remain completely confidential and will not be shared with anyone else.
I also encourage you to reach out to other on-campus and off-campus services.You may obtain free and confidential counseling from Counseling and Psychological Services (562-985-4001), the Long Beach Trauma Recovery Center (562-491-7977), YWCA Sexual Assault Crisis Services (877-Y-HELP-US), or WomenShelter of Long Beach (562-437-4663).
If you like, we can talk about additional ways I can help support you in class, but please know that I will have to report anything you tell me to the Office of Equity & Diversity.I will leave it up to you to decide whether you wish to talk to me further about what happened.Whatever you decide, please know that I am here for you and willing to work with you in whatever way makes the most sense for you.
