Ithacan Online
3.3.16 | Jessica Ferreira
The report of two rapes, which took place between August and October 2015 and appeared in the Feb. 4 Public Safety Log, has brought increased attention to Ithaca College’s policies for victims of sexual assault and harassment.
A rape was reported in August 2015, and another was reported in October 2015. According to the log, the Office of Title IX, which receives complaints of sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination, reported for documentation purposes that a sexual assault occurred between “two known people,” in both cases. For both reports, the “complainant did not report the incident to Public Safety.”
Victims of sexual assault and harassment can seek help from the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management, the Title IX office or local police. All three departments carry out their own independent investigations on the alleged incident.
If told of a sexual assault, faculty, staff and resident assistants are required to report to Tiffani Ziemann, Title IX coordinator. The only places on campus where a student can report a sexual assault without further reporting are the chaplains, the Hammond Health Center and the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.
When a student goes to the Title IX office to report an incident of sexual assault or harassment, they are not required to file an official complaint at the college, Ziemann said. Furthermore, if the Title IX office learns of an incident from a third party, the office will reach out to the victim, but the victim is not forced to respond and seek further action.
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