Who is a “Mandatory Reporter”?
At WashU, all faculty and most staff members are required to report incidents (or allegations) of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or other forms of misconduct that violate university policy to their supervisor, the Title IX Coordinator, the Associate Title IX Coordinator, or the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office. Mandatory reporters include: 1) any University employee who becomes aware of such incidents by or against a person they supervise; 2) any faculty member who becomes aware of such incidents against a student; and 3) any department head, director, or other similar administrator who becomes aware of such incidents. All employees with supervisory authority, including graduate students with teaching responsibilities and employees who have significant responsibility for students and campus activities, are mandatory reporters. For more information, please review the university’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy.
Even if a mandatory reporter believes an incident has already been reported, they are expected to share it with GETIXCO or their supervisor, who in turn is expected to share it with GETIXCO.
The following community members (or categories of community members) are the University’s mandatory reporters:
Chancellor
Executive Vice Chancellors
Provost
Vice Chancellors & Assoc. Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts & Assoc. Vice Provosts
Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs & Associate Deans and Directors
Athletics Department Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Trainers and Staff
Coordinators with Student Transitions & Family Programs
Coordinators with Campus Life
Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement Coordinators
Disability Resources Coordinators
Faculty
Four-Year Advisors
Student Transitions & Family Programs Professional and Student Staff
Resident Advisors
Residential College Directors
Washington University Student Associates (WUSAs) (with respect to students for whom they are WUSAs)
Student Group Advisors
Research and Clinical Assistants (with respect to students in the classes for which they serve as RAs or CAs)
Assistants in Course Instruction (with respect to students in the classes for which they serve as ACIs)
Title IX Coordinator & Associate Title IX Coordinator and all GETIXCO staff
If you are an employee who is informed about an incident, please review the recommendations in the following guide:
Mandatory Reporter Resource Guide
What is a Mandatory Reporter’s reporting obligation?
All WashU, mandatory reporters who are notified about a potential incident are required to report it to their supervisor or the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office as soon as possible. It does not matter how the information is learned – shared by the victim, the perpetrator, a third party or overheard; in person, via email or some other medium.
- Before a victim reveals any information they want to keep confidential, a mandatory reporter should make every possible effort to ensure the victim understands the employee is required to report the incident and also provide the victim with options to speak to a confidential resource.
- If the victim would like to share details about the incident but also requests to maintain confidentiality, the mandatory reporter should advise that we will do our best to honor the request but cannot guarantee it.
- When reporting details of the incident to a supervisor or a member of the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office, please share the victim’s request for confidentiality.
What do I do if a victim wants to remain confidential?
If a victim wants to maintain confidentiality, before discussing an incident with a mandatory reporter, the victim should consider first consulting a social worker, therapist, or member of the clergy who are permitted by law to assure a greater level of confidentiality.
Does reporting an incident initiate an investigation by the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office?
- Once the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office is made aware of an incident, a member of the team will reach out to the victim to ensure they are safe, offer support and resources, and inform them of their options. The victim is not required to share any information about what happened or meet with a Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office staff member.
- The Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office team’s primary goal is to ensure the victim’s safety and to help resolve the matter thoroughly, respectfully and as equitably as possible for all involved individuals.
- It is the victim’s choice whether to file a formal complaint with WashU or a criminal complaint with authorities.
What information am I required to share?
Please share the following information with the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office at titleix@wustl.edu as soon as possible:
- Names of those involved including all victims, perpetrators and witnesses;
- An overview of what occurred; and
- The date, time and location of the incident.
To the greatest extent possible, this information will be shared only with those involved in the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office investigation and response.
Should I share information with law enforcement?
An employee should never share information with law enforcement without the victim’s consent unless the victim has already filed a criminal report or if it is required by state child abuse or neglect laws.
If a victim wants to file a formal report, who do they contact?
- To pursue a formal university complaint, a victim should be referred to the Title IX Coordinator or to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.
- For criminal complaints, the victim should be referred to the WUPD or WUSMPS.
How can I best support a victim?
The safety of the victim is always the first priority. The decision to file a formal complaint, whether with WashU or with the proper authorities, is entirely up to the victim.
Listen to the victim and support them, not by not asking questions but by referring them to appropriate resources on or off campus. They will likely need help that you cannot personally provide, so help them contact confidential or reporting resources who can.
A victim should never be pressured into determining the course of action they want to pursue. Whether they wish to move forward with a full and complete investigation or not, the victim’s wishes should be honored and supported.