Reporting

Reporting to the College

Whether or not to report sex-based discrimination/misconduct to the college or law enforcement is an important decision for survivors. You may need resources and support, but have concerns about privacy and confidentiality. Some survivors are not interested in participating in an investigation, but want the college to be aware of what happened to them. Note that making a report is not the same as pursuing a resolution process (requesting Informal Resolution or filing Complaint). A report will not notify the person who caused the harm that you're talking with the college about the matter nor initiate an investigation. The purpose of a report is to ensure safety and that you get reliable information about your rights, resources, and support.

• Complete our online reporting form. (May be submitted anonymously if not being submitted by an Obligated Reporter.)
• Report to Reed's Title IX & 504 Coordinator, Christy Martin, at cmartin@reed.edu.
• Report to the Office of Community Safety.

Making a Report versus Pursuing a Resolution

A report is distinct from a resolution. Notifying the Title IX Coordinator through a report will connect the survivor to resources and processes to address concerns. Resolutions on the other hand notify the person alleged to have caused the harm that they've been named as a responding party and seeks to remedy the matter. There are two forms of resolutions:

• Informal Resolution: An Informal Resolution is a fully voluntary and professionally mediated process whereby both parties seek to come to an agreement for how to remedy the situation. It does not include an investigation or hearing and it may be explored at any time. Similarly, either party may discontinue the Informal Resolution process at any time.
• Formal Complaint: A Complaint is a request to the college by the harmed party for an investigation and finding of responsibility. If the responding party is found responsibile for violating the Title IX Policy, there may also be imposed sanctions.

If someone wants to initiate a resolution option, they should notify the Title IX Coordinator verbally or in writing. More information about how these resolutions work may be found on the Title IX Procedures webpage.

How to Report

Filing a Title IX report can be done in several ways. Essentially, any form of communication to the college (except when made to a confidential staff member) indicating that an instance of sex-based discrimination took place can be considered a report. Using the online report form is a particularly efficient way to notify the Title IX Coordinator, or use any of the contact information below to ensure the report is received.  

Contact the Title IX & 504 Coordinator, Christy Martin: 
Christy Martin, Title IX & 504 Coordinator
cmartin@reed.edu | title-ix@reed.edu 
503-517-7722

Contact Community Safety:
Gary Granger, Director of Community Safety
grangerg@reed.edu | community-safety@reed.edu
Emergency: 503-788-6666 | Office: 503-517-5355

Reporting to Law Enforcement

How To Report

Call 911 or visit the local law enforcement office to make a report to law enforcement. Crimes occurring around or on Reed campus are located in Multnomah County. The Portland Police Bureau is our local law enforcement office. 

A police report can be filed with community safety’s support by contacting community safety at 503-517-5355, or through the emergency line, 503-788-6666. Members of community safety are obligatory reporters; if making a report through community safety, this will trigger a report to the office of the Title IX Coordinator. 

Victims Advocates

Information shared with the police is not confidential. When you report to the police, they will ask for information surrounding the report in detail. This may be an uncomfortable and overwhelming process. However, a victims advocate will be assigned to your case as part of the PPB Sex Crimes Unit and will help to explain your options and can walk you through further reporting processes and next steps. 

Evidence

If you think that you might want to report to the police, it is important to preserve any evidence. This could include physical evidence (including fibers or fluids on your body or clothes, or anything else the offender touched), texts, and online posts and messages. Taking photos of damage to property or injuries can also be helpful. 

Information shared with the police is not confidential. When you report to the police, they will ask for information surrounding the report in detail. This may be an uncomfortable and overwhelming process. However, a victims advocate will be assigned to your case and will help to explain your options and can walk you through further reporting processes and next steps. 

Learn more about reporting to law enforcement as a student from the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force. For more information, you may wish to visit the following resources:

• Webpage for the Portland Police Bureau 
• Information on the PPB Sex Crimes Unit 
• Sexual Assault Information from the Multnomah County District Attorney.
• Information from RAINN on Reporting to Law Enforcement with FAQ.
• Learn more about what to expect by reading the Know Your Options Brochure

Obligatory Reporters

The college has moral and legal responsibilities to do two things: ensure that people who may have been harmed by a policy violation have reliable information about their rights and resources and assess the sitution for safety or ongoing concerns. For these reasons, many college employees are designated as Obligated Reporters and must notify the Title IX Coordinator if they become reasonably aware that a violation of the Title IX Sex-Based Harassment and Discrimination Policy may have occurred. A list of Obligated Reporters is available on our Title IX website.

Obligatory reporters cannot keep the information they are given confidential, even if the survivor asks them to do so. However, the Title IX Coordinator will make every effort to keep the information they disclose private. Reports do not automatically initiate notice to the person alleged to have caused the harm, nor do they automatically initiate an investigation or grievance procedures. In the vast majority of cases, the report only inititate outreach from the Title IX office to the survivor to ensure they have important information about their rights, resources, and possible supports.

It is only in circumstances such as a pattern of behavior, allegations of severe misconduct, or a compelling threat to health and/or safety, where the Title IX Coordinator may need to initiate a Complaint without a survivor's request to do so. The Title IX Coordinator is happy to provide more information if concerns about confidentiality are causing someone to hesitate to submit a report. The Title IX Coordinator will also do their utmost to ensure the survivor is aware of their need to submit a Complaint and that plans to ensure safety and minimize a disruption to their education are in place before doing so.

Because reporting is all about ensuring safety and extending support and information about one's rights and resources, we encourage any community member to report possible violations of the Title IX Policy.

Responding to Disclosure

As the recipient of a disclosure, obligated reporters may reassure the survivor that they were right to confide in someone, get them to resources that can help them, and fulfill legal reporting obligations. 

Steps

1. Determine whether you are an obligated reporter, and articulate that to the survivor. 
   Obligated reporters cannot keep reported information confidential, even if the survivor asks. 
2. Check safety, and reassure.
   Ask the person if they are safe now; if not, call community safety: 503-788-6666 (ext 6666) or 911. Ask if medical assistance is needed; if so, refer them to the Health & Counseling Center.
3. Refer.
   Ask if the person would like to speak with an advocate, a counselor, or someone in community safety. Give them appropriate phone numbers. If the Health & Counseling Center is open, you may call to confirm that a walk-in counselor is available. If possible, walk the person to the HCC or to community safety or wait with them for a community safety officer.
4. Report.
   Complete the online sex-based discimination report. You must disclose all information that you have about the situation, including the names of any parties that you know are involved or any third parties if that's who disclosed the information to you. If you do not have names, just report the information you have.

What Must Be Reported?

Any behaviors prohibited by the Title IX Policy that you have reason to believe may have occurred.