Responsible & Confidential Employees

YOUR ROLE AS A RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYEE

All Kent State University employees are REQUIRED to disclose any instance of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking to the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@kent.edu and in the cases of sexual assault, to the police (9-1-1 or 330-672-3070).

Responsible Employees include, but are not limited to:

• All faculty, including adjuncts, instructors, lecturers, teaching/grad assistants, and others offering classroom instruction;
• All advisors (academic and non-academic);
• All coaches, trainers, and other athletic staff that interact directly with student-athletes;
• All student affairs administrators;
• All residential hall staff;
• Employees who work in offices and other university facilities; and
• All supervisors and university officials.

Confidential Employees (those specifically identified on campus as mental health counselors and those working in campus health care centers) do not have an obligation to report information known to them.  Employees and students may speak to them with anonymity if desired.  Confidential Employees may not share personally identifying information with university officials without an individual’s consent.

It is important that all Kent State University students, employees, and visitors enjoy an environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. This is reflected in the fact that we are protected from unlawful discrimination by several state and federal laws, as well as University policies 5-16 and 5-16.2.  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions.

All university employees, except those exempted by legal privilege of confidentiality or expressly identified as a confidential reporter must report all incidents of gender-based, sexual violence, including anonymous reports.

University Policy 5-16.1(I): Requirement to Report

All employees of the university (except those health care professionals with statutory confidentiality requirements, when acting in their capacity as such) are required to notify the Title IX office all instances of possible gender/sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, and intimate partner violence within the purview of this policy that they are made aware of in their capacity as an employee. A report to the center for sexual and relationship violence support services (SRVSS) or Kent state police services satisfies this requirement. Employees are also expected to report to EOAA possible non-gender-based discrimination or harassment they are made aware of in their capacity as an employee.