Preventing incidents of sexual and gender-based harassment and sexual violence remains a priority for Occidental College.
Summary of Reports and Complaints
The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the ability of community members to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Office. Project S.A.F.E. and the Title IX Office both experienced a decrease in reports during the 2020-21 fiscal year. The College strongly encourages all individuals to seek assistance from a medical provider and/or law enforcement immediately after an incident of sexual violence. This is the best option to ensure preservation of evidence and to begin a timely investigative and remedial response. The College also strongly encourages all individuals to make a report to the College and to local law enforcement, although neither is required. These reporting options are not mutually exclusive. Both internal and criminal reports may be made simultaneously. The College has a strong interest in supporting those who have experienced sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence and strongly encourages all individuals or third-party witnesses to report any incident to the College.
Making a report means telling a Responsible Employee what happened - in person, by telephone, in writing, or by text message or email. At the time a report is made, a complainant does not have to request any particular course of action, nor does a complainant need to know how to label what happened. Choosing to make a report, and deciding how to proceed after making the report, can be a process that unfolds over time. The College provides support that can assist each individual in making these decisions and will respect an individual’s autonomy in deciding how to proceed to the extent possible. In this process, the College balances the individual’s interest with its obligation to provide a safe and non-discriminatory environment for all members of the College community. The College responds to all reports of Prohibited Conduct in a fair and impartial manner. A complainant, a respondent, and all individuals involved are treated with dignity and respect. In response to all reports of Prohibited Conduct, the College makes an immediate assessment of a risk of harm to the complainant, respondent, or to the broader campus community and will take steps to address those risks. These steps may include interim supportive or protective measures to provide for the safety of the individual and the campus community.
It is important to note that the data for reports found in the charts on the following pages does not align with those found in the Annual Fire Safety and Security Report issued in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”). The data contained in this Annual Report reflect allegations of conduct prohibited by Oxy’s Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy. This report includes conduct reported to have occurred on- or offcampus, including during College-sanctioned activities or programs abroad. As such, some but not all data are embedded within the College’s Annual Fire Safety and Security Report, which has a different scope.
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