Title IX

Reporting sexual misconduct is an individual decision. While the University encourages survivors to report misconduct, we recognize that it can be a challenging decision and may not be the right action for every survivor. The Title IX Office can talk with survivors about various reporting options so they can make informed and thoughtful decisions. Meeting with a member of the Title IX staff does not mean you must file a complaint or report it to the police. At the initial meeting, we will discuss reporting, interim measures, and safety, and make referrals to campus and community resources. To schedule a meeting with a Title IX Office staff member At Bradford and Titusville campus, please contact Title IX Student Liaison Kara Kennedy or Title IX Faculty/Staff Liaison Dr. David Fitz.

Beyond contacting Title IX, you may file a criminal complaint by contacting the Bradford Campus Police at 814-368-3211 or Titusville Campus at 814-827-4488.

Accused students or employees should know that the initiation of any University proceedings does not preclude the possibility of criminal charges. Indeed, parallel University and criminal proceedings are not uncommon. In addition to using these processes, the University will continue to engage in prevention programs and training for students, faculty, and staff in an effort to prevent sexual assault and harassment, relationship violence, and stalking.

Pitt's Statement on Confidentiality and Non-retaliation prohibits retaliation against anyone involved in the investigation of alleged incidents of sexual misconduct, whether the referring individual, a witness, an investigator, or anyone else. This statement also clarifies that all individuals involved in the investigation process are expected to honor the confidentiality of the process and the information involved.

Q: Does talking with the police mean I must go through with a criminal case?

A: No. You may speak to the police without participating in a criminal case. The police may initiate an investigation based on safety concerns; however, the survivor can decide what level of involvement to have with any investigation.

Q: If I report a sexual assault, will my name become public? What happens to the information?

A: Your information is kept private. Depending on how you choose to proceed with reporting, you will have information and updates on how your information may be shared with those involved in the reporting process. Additionally, an anonymous record of any on-campus assault will be provided for Bradford and Titusville police statistics to give an accurate representation of crime on campus and to help prevent further crimes of this nature. 

As part of the University’s response to a report of sexual misconduct, and regardless of whether there has been a request for formal disciplinary or law enforcement action, the University may impose interim measures or offer accommodations to address issues that impact the reporting and accused students’ educational, living, or work environments. These interim measures can often be put in place very quickly, prior to the resolution of any referral or criminal proceeding. Once imposed, the University will take necessary action to enforce the implemented measures. Anyone who becomes aware of, or has a concern about, a student’s failure to follow any University-imposed interim measure or accommodation should report this concern to the Student Conduct Officer.

To quickly address a situation, the University, where it determines it is appropriate, may impose a wide range of interim measures, such as:

• Implementation of a “No Contact Order”;
• Assistance with academic accommodations;
• Change in University-related work schedules or job assignments;
• Change in University-owned housing;
• Assistance from University staff in completing housing relocation;
• Assistance in addressing off-campus living arrangements; and
• Restricting a student’s access to certain University facilities or activities pending resolution of a matter.

Please contact Title IX if you have a need for interim measures.  We can assist in supportive measures, even if the party does not wish to file a formal complaint.

If you are a faculty or staff member and receive a request from Title IX about assisting with interim measures, please review more information on this process.

As a respondent in a case where sexual misconduct has been raised, there are resources available to you.  As with all alleged conduct violations, there is no presumption that policy has been violated.

Available resources for respondents include interim measures listed above, which may be available to and appropriate for you.  If you would like an overview of the Title IX process, including interim measures, please contact Title IX Student Liaison Kara Kennedy or Title IX Faculty/Staff Liaison Dr. David Fitz.

In addition, for students accused of sexual misconduct, confidential support is available at the Counseling Services office. Title IX can assist with making a referral, or the student can identify as a respondent when walking/calling into the Counseling Services office. This will connect them with a designated counselor focusing on counseling respondents.

If you are a faculty or staff member, ​LifeSolutions provides a broad range of services to assist you. The services are provided at no cost to you. LifeSolutions services include Personalized WorkLife Referrals, Online WorkLife Resources, Crisis 24/7 Contact Information, Counseling and Coaching Services, and Disability and Family Medical Leave Outreach.

You may bring an advisor of choice to any meeting with the Title IX office.  For more information on the advisor of choice and the process for a formal investigation, please visit the Sexual Misconduct Procedures or the Student Code of Conduct. 

If you have been issued a No Contact Order or Notice of Investigation, we encourage you not to contact the other party but instead to connect with our office to discuss the notification and the next steps in the process.

Contact Information

Counseling Services - 814-362-5272

Life Solutions: 1-866-647-3432

You may have concerns about confidentiality, and you should know that different employees on campus have different abilities to maintain a complainant's confidentiality.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is not like the counseling center, where reports will be kept completely confidential. ODI will keep reports as confidential as possible, but will discuss the report with witnesses and other individuals within the University who need to know. Those who need to know are aware that they should maintain confidentiality. 

You may also be concerned about retaliation. Retaliation is against the law and is a violation of University Policy. Please review our Statement on Confidentiality and Non- Retaliation above. If you have questions about submitting a bias report, For Bradford and Titusville campus contact main campus titleixcoordinator@pitt.edu or call 412-648-7860.

The University is committed to maintaining a campus environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment.  Please use these guidelines if you witness or experience a bias incident so that the University may promptly and effectively respond.  The University recognizes that each incident is unique and must be addressed as such.  As a result, the information listed below is merely a guide.  All incidents should be assessed in light of the fact that the University is deeply committed to addressing bias on campus.

WHAT IS A BIAS INCIDENT?     

Bias incidents are acts committed against a person or group that are motivated in whole or in part by prejudice against the person’s or group’s sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, race, religion, disability, veteran status or other protected class. 

Please note that just because the expression of an idea or point of view may be offensive or inflammatory, it is not necessarily a bias incident. The University values freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas, and the expression of controversial ideas and differing views is a vital part of the University’s mission.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I LEARN OF A BIAS INCIDENT?

When you see, hear of or experience an incident, you should:

A. If you believe there is a risk of imminent harm, a crime, or a threat, please contact Bradford Campus Police 814-368-3211 or Titusville Campus Police 814-827-4488..  This includes graffiti incidents.  The Facilities Management Department also informs the Police Department of graffiti incidents.

B. Promptly contact the University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (“ODI”) at (412-648-7860) diversity@pitt.edu, or via the report form. A staff member will promptly reach out to you seeking all relevant information such as: the name of the person who experienced the incident, the name(s) of the alleged perpetrator(s), what occurred, date, time and location.

C. Promptly contact/inform your immediate supervisor, director or dean.

D. Retain all relevant records, photographs, documentation and materials relating to the incident.

E. If there is a known victim, explain to that person that you will report the incident to your supervisor and ODI, and that while the University is sensitive to concerns about confidentiality that sometimes arise, it is obligated to investigate and cannot guarantee confidentiality.

F. If the victim wants to talk with someone who can maintain complete confidentiality, direct the victim to confidential resources such as the Counseling Services Office 814-362-5272 or Life Solutions at http://www.hr.pitt.edu/lifesolutions.

G. Be aware that ODI and the appropriate leader in your department or unit will help establish the appropriate Response Team for the particular incident, which may include partners like departmental leadership, the Division of Student Affairs, the Provost’s Office, Human Resources, the Police Department, University Communications, etc.  

H. Be aware that ODI and your departmental leadership will make prompt contact with affected individuals or group(s), offer the appropriate support resources (see above), and let them know that that the incident has been reported and will be investigated and addressed.

I. Be aware that ODI and your departmental leadership will assess the need for immediate interim measures to address issues that impact the affected person's educational or employment environment. Common interim measures include "No Contact Orders," changes in work schedules, job assignments or housing, restricted access to faculties and referrals to counseling centers.

J. Know that ODI and the response team will conduct a prompt, thorough investigation, to include an analysis of the incident/facts, and will make recommendations to the relevant department/responsibility center. 

K. Continue to communicate with ODI and the response team relating to resolution and beyond.

Together we can work to maintain an educational and work environment that is free from unlawful harassment and discrimination.  Incident reporting and response is a critical component of building that culture.

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 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.

Concerning confidentiality, a responsible employee must report to the Title IX coordinator all relevant details about the alleged sexual violence shared by the survivor and then the Title IX Office will need to determine what happened. To the extent possible, information reported to a responsible employee will be shared only with people responsible for handling the University’s response to the report. A responsible employee should not share information with law enforcement without the survivor’s consent unless the victim has also reported the incident to law enforcement or if there is a health or safety emergency.

Before a survivor reveals any information to a responsible employee, to the extent possible, the employee should ensure that the survivor understands the employee’s reporting obligations—and, if the survivor wants to maintain confidentiality, direct the survivor to confidential resources. If you have any questions about privacy, do not hesitate to ask.

If the survivor wants to tell the responsible employee what happened but also wants to maintain confidentiality, the employee should tell the survivor that the University will consider the request but cannot guarantee that it will be honored. In reporting details of the incident to the Title IX Coordinator, the responsible employee will also inform the Coordinator of the victim’s request for confidentiality.

Download A Guide for Responsible Employees (PDF) for additional information.

Please look over a Responsible Employee FAQ about what happens when an incident is reported to the Title IX Office.

Add a statement about sexual misconduct, reporting, and Title IX to your syllabus.