Who is a Responsible Employee?
Generally, all Pitt employees are Responsible Employees unless their job requires professional confidentiality, as in the case of mental health counselors, physicians, nurses, and clergy. A “Responsible Employee” is a University employee who has the duty to report incidents of sexual violence or other sexual misconduct, or who a University community member could reasonably believe has this duty. When a survivor tells a Responsible Employee about an incident of sexual misconduct, the survivor has the right to expect the University to take prompt and appropriate steps to investigate what happened and to resolve the matter promptly and equitably.
- What is a Responsible Employee’s Obligation?
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With respect to Confidentiality, a Responsible Employee must report all relevant details about the alleged sexual misconduct shared by the survivor to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, and our office will provide the survivor with information regarding resources, support services, interim measures and accommodations, and options for resolution.
To the extent possible, information reported by a Responsible Employee will be shared only with those responsible for handling the University’s response to the report. A Responsible Employee should not share information with law enforcement or other reporting units without the survivor’s consent or if there is a health or safety emergency.
- Syllabus Statement: Sexual Misconduct, Required Reporting, and Title IX
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If you are experiencing sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and stalking, please report it to me and I will connect you to University resources to support you.
University faculty and staff members are required to report all instances of sexual misconduct, including harassment and sexual violence to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. When a report is made, individuals can expect to be contacted by the Title IX Office with information about support resources and options related to safety, accommodations, process, and policy. I encourage you to use the services and resources that may be most helpful to you.
As your professor, I am required to report any incidents of sexual misconduct that are directly reported to me. You can also report directly to Office of Civil Rights and Title IX: 412-648-7860 (M-F; 8:30am-5:00pm) or via the Pitt Concern Connection.
An important exception to the reporting requirement exists for academic work. Disclosures about sexual misconduct that are shared as a relevant part of an academic project, classroom discussion, or course assignment, are not required to be disclosed to the University’s Title IX office.
Any form of sexual harassment or violence will not be excused or tolerated at the University of Pittsburgh.
If you wish to make a confidential report, Pitt encourages you to reach out to these resources:
The University Counseling Center: 412-648-7930 (8:30 A.M. TO 5 P.M. M-F) and 412-648-7856 (AFTER BUSINESS HOURS) Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (community resource): 1-866-363-7273 (24/7). If you have an immediate safety concern, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Police, 412-624-2121. - How should a Responsible Employee address a Disclosure?
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Before a survivor reveals any information to a Responsible Employee, to the extent possible, the Responsible Employee should make sure that the survivor understands the employee’s reporting obligations—and, if the survivor wants to maintain confidentiality, direct the survivor to Confidential Resources.
If the survivor choose to disclose to the Responsible Employee what happened but also wants to maintain confidentiality, the employee should tell the survivor that the University will consider the survivor's request but cannot guarantee that the University will be able to honor it. In reporting details of the incident to the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, the Responsible Employee will also inform the Title IX Coordinator in their report of the survivor’s request for confidentiality.
If you have questions regarding the Responsible Employee program, please contact the OEDI Civil Rights & Title IX team.