You may have heard your student use the term Title IX. You may have asked yourself, doesn’t this have to do with gender equality in athletics? Well, the answer is yes, however Title IX goes beyond athletics.
- Title IX is a federal law, enforced by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, that protects all individuals at an educational institution from any form of sex and gender-based discrimination and harassment, which includes sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. All institutions that accept federal financial funding must comply with Title IX.
At Pratt, we strive to maintain an environment for students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and visitors that is free of all forms of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct. Pratt’s Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy affirms our commitment to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of the educational enterprise. The Policy also details Pratt’s prohibited conduct and the internal policies and procedures that provide a prompt, fair, and impartial process for those involved in an allegation of misconduct.
- The Title IX Coordinator ensures Pratt’s compliance with Title IX and the administration of the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- Pratt’s Title IX Coordinator is:
Michael Arno: Director of Institutional Equity and Title IX
718-687-5171 Marno58@pratt.edu
- The Title IX Coordinator leads Pratt’s response to inequity, harassment, and sexual misconduct concerns. This includes response to sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking.
- The Title IX Coordinator is a neutral party that manages the administration of Pratt’s Title IX and nondiscrimination grievance processes. Grievance processes are designed to eliminate, prevent, and redress known instances of inequity, harassment, and sexual misconduct in fair and unbiased matter in accordance with state and federal laws.
- The Title IX Coordinator coordinates support for individuals impacted by inequity, harassment and sexual misconduct.
- The Title IX Coordinator manages prevention and training.
- Throughout the academic year, the Institutional Equity and Title IX Office collaborates with campus and community organizations to sponsor events and programs for our students, faculty, and staff on issues pertaining to all forms of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. Programming topics provide education on healthy relationships, sexual wellness, bystander awareness, and sexual misconduct prevention.
- Upon receipt of a report of an alleged violation of the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy or Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, the Title IX Coordinator will provide reasonable and appropriate supportive measures. Supportive Measures are non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate, reasonably available, and without fee or charge to both the person who alleges sexual misconduct and the person alleged to be responsible for the reported sexual misconduct.
- Supportive measures are designed to eliminate hostile environments and protect all involved parties. The Title IX Coordinator will make reasonable efforts to communicate with the involved parties to ensure that all safety, emotional, and physical well-being concerns are being addressed and supported.
- Supportive measures may include no-contact directives, changes in class or work schedules, changes in Pratt-owned living arrangements, or any other supportive measures that Pratt deems appropriate. Likewise, Pratt may work with a reporting student to provide access to on-campus counseling services, provide information regarding off-campus services, increased security monitoring, additional academic support, and/or assist in obtaining medical treatment or services.
- Any person subjected to sexual misconduct is offered supportive measures regardless of whether a formal complaint is filed or the impacted party participates in the investigation/grievance process.
- The Title IX and Sexual Misconduct investigation and grievance process is a fair and impartial process. The Title IX Coordinator is a neutral party and ensures the rights for both the person who alleges sexual misconduct and the person alleged to be responsible for the reported sexual misconduct are upheld.
Listen – If your student chooses to disclose a traumatic experience to you, trust that they chose you for a reason. The most helpful thing you can do is listen to what they have to say. Listening can be as simple as being there as they process the situation on their own. Do not worry if you are unsure exactly what to say. It is more important to make sure they feel heard, and that they can communicate with you without fear of judgment.
Validate – Acknowledge your student’s feelings of sadness, fear, anger, or confusion. Let them know that these feelings are normal.
Refer & Support – Be engaged, but be patient. Your student should be given the space to make their own choices about what they want to do, including what resources they want to access. It can be helpful to present options and then to support them in reaching out to the appropriate resources.
Take Care of Yourself – You may be experiencing many of your own emotions and thoughts, and it is critical that you take care of yourself. This means knowing and expressing your own boundaries and limits in supporting your student and loved one and being aware of your own experiences of trauma. Seek out support services in your area if necessary.
Pratt encourages any student that is a victim of sexual misconduct to report the incident, however, a victim of sexual misconduct is not required to report the incident.
Victims that do report, are not required to participate in any investigation or grievance process.
The Title IX Coordinator will not contact the parents or guardians of any involved party in a Title IX or nondiscrimination matter. Pratt is prohibited from doing so by the Family Educational and Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA). Under FERPA, parents/guardians cannot access their student’s educational records if the student is enrolled in post-secondary education, regardless of age, unless the student gives written permission to allow access to the parents/guardians through a FERPA waiver.
Parents/guardians are welcome to contact the Title IX Coordinator at any time. If a FERPA waiver has not been provided by the respective student, the Title IX Coordinator can answer general questions regarding Pratt’s policies.
All investigations will be conducted in a thorough and prompt manner. The grievance process can take anywhere from several weeks to multiple months to complete. Parties are kept informed of the timeline and are notified should there be cause for any delays.
Some violations of Pratt’s policies may also be a violation of local or state law. A victim of misconduct has the right to report an incident to law enforcement, Public Safety, and/or the Institute. The victim also has the right not to report an incident. A victim wishing to report to law enforcement may obtain assistance from Pratt when making the report. Pratt will not file a report of sexual misconduct to law enforcement on behalf of the student.
Pratt’s grievance process is an administrative process designed to determine if a respondent (accused party) has violated a Pratt Institute policy and, if applicable, determine the appropriate disciplinary action(s). A criminal investigation/process by law enforcement seeks to determine whether an individual violated criminal law. Title IX and criminal investigations are independent processes and may occur simultaneously.