E-Mail to Faculty & Staff about Sexual Harrassment/Discrimination Involving Students (August, 2007)

August 31, 2007

To: All Faculty and Staff
From: Office of the Dean of Students
Re: Sexual Harassment/Discrimination Involving Students

With the new academic year fast approaching, I am writing to remind all members of the campus community that Fairfield University has established policies and procedures to address sexual harassment or discrimination complaints by students against other students or against University employees. These policies and procedures are set forth in the Student Handbook (pp. 44-45) which was distributed to all full-time faculty and staff and is available online at www.fairfield.edu/sl_sthandbook.html. The policy designates the Office of the Dean of Students to coordinate the review, investigation and resolution of such complaints.

Dr. Elise Harrison in Counseling and Psychological Services serves as the Title IX Compliance Coordinator and advocate for students bringing forward complaints under the Harassment/Equal Educational Opportunity policy. For complaints by students against other students, the matter will be reviewed and investigated by the Assistant Dean of Students with the assistance of Public Safety. For complaints by students against faculty or staff members, the employee's supervisor will be responsible for reviewing and investigating the complaint. The supervisor may seek assistance from others in doing so. Throughout the entire process, the student making the complaint will receive support and assistance from the Compliance Coordinator.

Dr. Harrison is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. When providing personal or psychological counseling to students, she has general protections under the law in terms of maintaining students' confidentiality. However, when functioning as Compliance Coordinator, she is not acting as a Counselor and does not maintain such confidentiality protections. Therefore, it is important to note that a student who also desires personal counseling as a result of sexual harassment or discrimination will be referred to another member of the Counseling Center staff. In that instance, Dr. Harrison's role will be to work exclusively on the Title IX complaint.

As faculty members or staff, you should report any complaints that you may receive from students, either informally or formally, about sexual harassment or discrimination. Title IX complaints are different from private lawsuits for damages. The U.S. Office of Civil Rights ("OCR") will consider that the institution has notice of harassment or misconduct if a complaint is made to a "responsible school employee." The OCR defines a "responsible school employee" as "one who has a duty to report sexual harassment or other misconduct by students or employees to appropriate school authorities, as well as an individual who a student could reasonably believe has the authority to address the harassment or the responsibility to report it to someone with the authority to address it."

The OCR publishes the Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance: Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students, or Third Parties. This document provides an overview and explanation of an education institution's responsibility to take immediate and effective steps to end sexual harassment when it occurs, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects. I encourage all faculty and staff to read this document, which can be accessed at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/shguide.html. A copy of the same is also available in the Office of the Dean of Students in BCC 408.

Thank you for your attention to this important topic. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact my office at (203) 254-4000, ext. 3425.

Thomas C. Pellegrino, J.D., Ph.D.
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Connecticut 06824-5195
Ph: (203) 254-4000 ext. 3425
Fax: (203) 254-4014