Â鶹ÊÓƵ | Student Services | LU Cares - Responsible Employees

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Responsible Employees

LUCares

Am I obligated to report incidents of possible sexual violence to school officials?

Under Title IX, whether an individual is obligated to report incidents of alleged sexual violence generally depends on whether the individual is a responsible employee of Lewis University. A responsible employee must report incidents of sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator or other appropriate school designees because Lewis is obligated to address sexual violence about which a responsible employee knew or should have known.

Who is a “responsible employee”?

Â鶹ÊÓƵ and its employees are subject to various state and federal reporting laws. You must immediately report all cases of sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, and stalking if:

  • You are an employee that has the responsibility to report student or employee misconduct to college officials
  • You have the authority to take action to redress sexual misconduct, and;
  • You are an employee that a student could reasonably believe has that responsibility or authority

In short, Â鶹ÊÓƵ employees must immediately report all cases of sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, and stalking to the Title IX Coordinator and other appropriate school designees.

Be sure that the person disclosing information to you understands that you are obligated to report the information to the appropriate Lewis officials. It is also crucial that you offer support and refer the complainant to the appropriate professional services which can be found on the Reaching out for Help page.

What information am I obligated to report?

With the exception of school counseling employees, you must report all relevant details about the alleged sexual violence that the student or another person has shared and that Lewis will need to determine what occurred and to resolve the situation.

  • Names of all students involved (alleged complainant, alleged respondent, other students/staff/faculty involved)
  • Relevant facts
  • Date, time and location

What do I tell a student that wants to disclose an incident to me?

Before a student reveals information that he/she may wish to keep confidential:

  • Be sure that the person disclosing information to you understands that you are obligated to report the information to the Title IX Coordinator.
  • If student requests confidentially, it cannot be promised however, the Title IX Coordinator and other appropriate designees will keep the information private and on a need-to-know basis.  
  • Make the student aware that they are able to share the information confidentially with the Student Wellness Center staff.

It is also crucial that you offer support and refer the complainant to the appropriate professional services which can be found on the Reaching out for Help page.

Are any employees exempt from reporting an incidence of sexual violence?

It is not required that campus mental-health counselors, pastoral counselors, health services employees, or any person with a professional license requiring confidentiality to report an incident without the student's consent when providing a service in that role.

What about Residential Advisers (RAs), Peer Ministers, and other student employees, are they required to report an incident on sexual violence?

Yes, RAs, Peer Ministers, and other student employees are required to report an incident when they are notified of a situation while performing their duties.

To whom am I supposed to report information about sexual violence?

Information should be reported to one of the following people:

Dr. DeSean E. Coleman
Assistant Dean of Student Services & Title IX Coordinator
Learning Resource Center, LR G-14
(815) 836-5597
titleixcoordinator@lewisu.edu
dcoleman5@lewisu.edu

Lori Misheck
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Director of Human Resources
SB-104B
Romeoville, IL 60446
(815) 836-5272
misheclo@lewisu.edu

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Police Department
Learning Resource Center, LR G-24
Emergency: (815) 836-5911 or 5911
Non-Emergency: (815) 836-5222

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