Loyola's Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response

A Message from June 29, 2020

We hear and acknowledge the stories of survivors of sexual violence. Loyola is committed to working with the campus community to support those who have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of sexual misconduct, including dating and domestic violence and stalking. We take these incidents extremely seriously, recognizing the pain and trauma of survivors of harassment, discrimination, sexual assault, and all forms of sexual misconduct.

Loyola is continuously undertaking efforts to review and improve our approach to sexual misconduct prevention and response. During the summer, we are undergoing a comprehensive review of our policies and procedures in light of the new Title IX regulations that become effective on Aug. 14. We also will be taking the following steps:

Increase education and awareness programming on the prevention of sexual violence and the resources and reporting options;
Enhance training offerings for “responsible employees,” who help connect students who have experienced sexual misconduct with measures for assistance, including reporting options both on and off campus;
Update training for hearing panels of sexual misconduct incidents in the grievance processes through a partnership with the Student Conduct Institute;
Update the bystander intervention training that is mandatory for all first-year students and will be open to all students that includes proactive steps to intervene and help prevent sexual violence;
Provide ongoing training for Public Safety officers, who are most often the first responders to incidents that may occur on campus; and
Inform the campus community of the changes to the investigation and adjudication processes for sexual misconduct incidents as a result of the new Title IX regulations. Although the regulations have changed, be assured that Loyola will continue to apply the preponderance of evidence standard while adjudicating incidents. We believe that this standard, which is consistently used in adjudicating civil rights claims, is the only equitable standard.

We are committed to fostering an environment where students feel comfortable coming forward. We want to ensure that students have the information to make informed decisions about their health, safety, reporting options, and grievance processes involving sexual misconduct incidents.

Loyola’s sexual harassment policies continue to apply even during online-only learning. Harassment, discrimination, or any act of sexual misconduct that occurs within a program or activity of the University, including online instruction, is subject to University policies.

It is important for every person to know their rights and resources. If you experience sexual misconduct, whether harassment, assault, or any act of violence, we will take your report seriously. If you are reporting a sexual assault, free legal help may be available through the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Attached is the notice of rights and options that we update each year. We are currently working on updating Loyola policies based on the new regulations. Meanwhile, the current harassment and discrimination policy remains in effect.

We invite you to contact us if you have ideas or concerns, by completing the online feedback form. You may also contact Melissa Lees, sexual violence prevention, education, and response coordinator, who is a confidential resource, at mklees@loyola.edu. An online reporting form to report incidents of sexual misconduct is also available. Anonymous reports can also be submitted on this form, but the University’s ability to investigate or act upon anonymous reports may be limited. Finally, we are available to speak with any student or community member who would like to share their experiences, concerns, or report an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of sexual misconduct. Please know that we are ready to listen, care about you, and are prepared to assist and support you.

Sincerely,

Katsura Kurita
Assistant Vice President Student Development and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students
kkurita@loyola.edu
410-617-5646

Kathleen Parnell
Associate Vice President Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator
kmparnell@loyola.edu
410-617-1350 or 410-617-2354

Important Title IX Updates

New regulations from the United States Department of Education were scheduled to go into effect on August 1, 2024, after the final Title IX rule was released on April 19, 2024. Since then, the University has been monitoring pending litigation and updated guidance related to the regulations. The University will make the necessary adjustments to the policy or the process applied to comply with the most recent government laws, regulations, or court holdings. Until the injunction(s) are resolved, or additional guidance is released, we will apply the University's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy for incidents that fall under the 2020 Title IX regulation jurisdiction, and we will apply the Sex-based Harassment and Discrimination policy for incidents that do not fall under the 2020 Title IX jurisdiction but do fall under the Sex-based Harassment and Discrimination policy. The Office of Title IX and Bias Compliance will provide updates as they become available. Applicable policies can be found on the Title IX Policy page. For questions, please contact titleix-bias@loyola.edu.