Sexual Misconduct (Addendum)
Policy Statement
Cape Fear Community College is committed to providing a learning, and working environment that promotes respect, responsibility, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and accountability in an environment free of sexual misconduct and discrimination.
Information
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Cape Fear Community College is committed to providing a learning, and working environment that promotes respect, responsibility, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and accountability in an environment free of sexual misconduct and discrimination. Sexual discrimination violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity.
Cape Fear Community College considers sexual discrimination in all its forms to be a serious offense. This plan refers to all forms of sexual discrimination, including: discrimination against pregnant and parenting students, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence by employees, students, or third parties. (Title 20 U.S.C. Sections 1681-1688)
Cape Fear Community College has a responsibility to ensure compliance by demonstrating that our education programs and other activities are operated in a manner consistent with Title IX regulations and provisions. Throughout the year there are several programs offered to the Cape Fear Community College community that provide knowledge to help prevent, avoid, and respond to sexual misconduct.
Procedures
If you feel you have been subjected to sexual harassment or discrimination, you should seek
assistance as soon as possible. Please review the Sexual or Gender Misconduct Plan and the
related Plan Explanations listed below.
How Can We Help
Our plan helps to ensure Cape Fear Community College’s community is free from discrimination based on sex or gender behavior. We are here to help assist you in an effective and efficient manner. If you feel you are or have experienced sexual misconduct or discrimination, the most important thing you can do is get help.
Who Should I Contact
If you think you have been a victim of sex or gender discrimination, or if you are aware of its existence in any of our education programs or activities, or you have any questions about the sexual or gender misconduct policy, you can get help from any of the offices/individuals below:
- a. Faculty or Staff: Contact the Vice President, Human Resources & College Safety, your supervisor, or the Director of Safety & Training/Safety;
- b. Students: Contact the Dean of Students/Title IX Coordinator, any Student Services Director, Counseling Staff, Athletic Director, or the Director of Safety & Training/Safety;
- c. Applicants for employment: Contact the Vice President, Human Resources & College Safety or the Director of Safety & Training/Safety;
- d. Visitors: Contact the Director of Safety & Training/Safety
SEXUAL/GENDER MISCONDUCT PLAN & PLAN EXPECTATIONS
Plan Statement
Members of Cape Fear Community College’s community, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from sexual violence. All members of the campus community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others. Cape Fear Community College believes in zero tolerance regarding sexual or gender-based misconduct. When an allegation of misconduct is brought to an appropriate administrator’s attention, and a respondent is found to have violated this plan, serious sanctions will be imposed to reasonably ensure that such actions are never repeated.
This plan has been developed to reaffirm these principles and to provide recourse for those individuals whose rights have been violated. This plan is intended to define community expectations and to establish a mechanism for determining when those expectations have been violated.
The College reserves the right to take whatever measures it deems necessary in response to an allegation of sexual misconduct to protect students’ rights and personal safety. Such measures include, but are not limited to; modification of class schedule, interim suspension from campus pending a hearing, and reporting the matter to the local police. Not all forms of sexual misconduct will be deemed to be equally serious offenses and the college reserves the right to impose different sanctions, ranging from verbal warning to expulsion, depending on the severity of the offense. The College will consider the concerns and rights of both the complainant and the person accused of sexual misconduct.
In campus hearings, legal terms like “guilt,” “innocence”, and “burden of proof” are not applicable, but the College never assumes a student is in violation of college policy. Campus hearings are conducted to consider the totality of all evidence available, from all relevant sources.
