Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Sexual Harassment

You should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Call Public Safety (714) 895-8999 on GWC campus

You can make a police report to: Call 911.

Physical evidence of a criminal sexual assault must be collected from the alleged victims person within 72 hours, though evidence can often be obtained from towels, sheets, clothes, etc. for much longer periods of time. If you believe you have been a victim of a criminal sexual assault, you should go to a medical facility capable of providing collection of medical/legal evidence in cases of sexual assault, and has specially trained staff to do so before washing yourself or your clothing. Anaheim Regional Medical Center (714-774-1450) is the only hospital in Orange County that performs Sexual Assault Exams. You can contactyour local law enforcement agency ora crisishot-line for assistance.Having the evidence collected in this manner will help keep all options available, but will not obligate you to any course of action. Collecting evidence can assist the authorities in pursuing criminal charges, should you decide later to exercise it. If you have changed clothing since the assault, bring the clothing you had on at the time of the assault with you to the hospital in a clean, sanitary container such as a clean paper grocery bag or wrapped in a clean sheet (plastic containers do not breathe, and may render evidence useless). If you have not changed clothes, bring a change of clothes with you to the hospital, if possible, as they will likely keep the clothes you are wearing as evidence.

If you believe that you have experienced a non-consensual sexual contact, but are unsure of whether it was a violation of the District’s sexual harassment policy, you should contact the nurse or psychologist at the Student Health Center, the Title IX Coordinator, Public Safety or another trusted administrator who can help you to define and clarify the event(s), and advise you of your options.

The privacy of all parties to a complaint of sexual harassment will be protected, except insofar as it interferes with the Colleges obligation to fully investigate allegations of sexual harassment. Where privacy is not strictly kept, it will still be tightly controlled on a need-to-know basis. Dissemination of information and/or written materials to persons not involved in the complaint procedure is not permitted. Violations of the privacy of the complainant or the accused student may lead to conduct action by the District.

The District also must statistically report the occurrence on campus of major violent crimes, including certain sex offenses, in an annual report of campus crime statistics. This statistical report does not include personally identifiable information.

Yes, if you want formal disciplinary action to be taken against the alleged assailant. No, if you choose to respond informally and do not file a formal complaint.Victims should be aware that not identifying the assailant may limit the District’s ability to respond comprehensively.

Yes, if you file a formal complaint. Sexual harassment is a serious offense and the accused student has the right to know the identity of the complainant/alleged victim. If there is a hearing, the District does provide options for questioning without confrontation. The answer is only no if no specific name or identity is provided. In this situation the issue is counted in the District’s reporting data, but no formal investigation or confrontation can be conducted.

It is a violation of District policy to retaliate in any way against an individual or a group because the individual or group of individuals reported an allegation of sexual harassment or misconduct.

The District recognizes that retaliation can take many forms, may be committed by an individual or a group against an individual or a group, and that a Respondent can also be the subject of retaliation by the Complainant or a third party. The District will take immediate and responsive action to any report of retaliation and may pursue disciplinary action as appropriate. An individual reporting sexual harassment or misconduct is entitled to protection from any form of retaliation following a report that is made in good faith, even if the report is later not proven.

It is never okay to force, threaten or coerce someone into having sex against his/her will, even if they are in a relationship. Just because you have been intimate with someone in the past does not automatically mean you give consent for any and all future sexual activity.

Whether you are the Complainant or the accused student, the District’s primary relationship is to the student and not the parent. However, in the event of major medical, disciplinary, or academic jeopardy, students are strongly encouraged to inform their parents.District officials will directly inform parents when requested to do so by a student, or in certain instances where a health or safety emergency exist, or if the District determines such communication is necessary.

The District’s primary concern is the health and safety of its students.When conducting an investigation of an alleged sexual assault, the District’s focus will be on addressing the sexual assault and not the lesser policy violations that may be discovered or disclosed. The District may, however, provide referrals to psychological services or require other educational options.

The use of alcohol and/or drugs by either party will not diminish the responsibility of the accused. However, alcohol and/or other drugs are likely to affect memories and may affect the outcome of a case. Either partys prior use of drugs and/or alcohol be a factor when reporting sexual harassment unless there is a compelling reason to believe that prior use or abuse is relevant to the present complaint.

Yes, you may take action through both the campus disciplinary system and the criminal justice system. The District encourages Complainants to pursue criminal action for incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct that may also be crimes under California law. The District will also assist a Complainant in making a criminal report and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if a Complainant decides to pursue the criminal process to the extent permitted by law. However, a Complainant may also choose not to pursue criminal action, and under most circumstances, thelocal Police Department will not force a Complainant to pursue charges if he/she is not willing to do so.

The investigation and resolution (including appeal) of all reports will generally be completed within 60 to 90 days. Extenuating circumstances including the complexity and severity of a complaint may arise that require the complaint process to extend beyond 60 to 90 days. In general, a Complainant and Respondent can expect to receive periodic updates as to the status of the review or investigation. In the event that the investigation and resolution exceed this time frame, the College will notify all parties of the need for additional time and best efforts will be made to complete the process in a timely manner.