Discrimination and Title IX Policies
Discrimination and Title IX Policies
William & Mary is committed to providing students an environment that is free from discrimination based on any protected group and to preventing sexual misconduct. The university has policies that establish expectations around these matters and procedures designed to address discrimination and sexual misconduct.
The most important policies are:
- the Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, and Sexual Misconduct (the Discrimination Policy)
- the Policy Prohibiting Title IX Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Harassment (the Title IX Policy); and
- the Faculty Handbook's Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy (Section III.E.)
These policies prohibit specific types of conduct, and establish reporting obligations. and options.
Reporting Complaints of Discrimination, Harassment, including Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, or Retaliation
Pamela Mason, Chief Compliance Officer
Office of Compliance & Equity
equity@wm.edu
James Blair Suite 101-116
757.221-2743
Jenelle Marie Job, MEd, PhD, LSSP
Director of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance/TItle IX Coordinator
Office of Compliance & Equity
James Blair 108
Office Phone: 757.221.4977
Email: jmjob@wm.edu
Online: Submit a Report
Confidential Reporting
Employees designated as confidential resources are not mandatory reporters and will not share a report or any details with the Title IX Coordinator without the student’s permission. Confidential Resources available to students include:
- The Haven, Sadler Center 146P, Liz Cascone, Director, 221-7478, lizcascone@wm.edu
- The Counseling Center, McLeod Tyler Wellness Center, 2nd Floor, 221-3620
- Student Health Center McLeod Tyler Wellness Center, 1st Floor, 221-4386
Discrimination Policy
The Discrimination Policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person’s belonging to or perception that person belongs to a protected group. A protected group means category of individuals who are protected from discrimination based on race, religion, creed, national origin, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability (or perceived disability), citizenship status, age, marital status, family responsibilities, Veteran or military status (including disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran, and Armed Forces Service Medal veteran), predisposing genetic characteristics. The Discrimination Policy applies to all members of the university community—students, faculty staff and third party contractors. It supports students who experience discrimination or harassment based on a protected class, and it prohibits students from discriminating against or harassing others in the community.
The Discrimination Policy also prohibits sexual misconduct, including non-consensual sexual intercourse, relationship abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation. The definitions of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct are contained in Section III of the Discrimination Policy.
All employees of the university, with the exception of specifically identified confidential resources, are mandatory reporters of incidents of sexual misconduct. Mandatory reports of all information known are made to the Title IX Coordinator and reviewed by the Civil Rights Review Team. This reporting obligation does not require survivors to report or other students to report information they learn from a friend or contemporary; it requires all employees, including student employees in their employment capacity, to report incidents involving students.
Title IX Policy
Consistent with federal regulations, the Title IX Policy prohibits the following types of misconduct:
- Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment
- Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Assault (Rape, Fondling, Incest, Statutory Rape)
- Domestic Violence
- Dating Violence
- Stalking
- Gender-Based Harassment
The Policy defines each of these types of misconduct and defines consent, force, incapacitation, and retaliation.
The Policy applies to all member of the university community –students, faculty, staff and third-party contractors. It supports students who experience Title IX Sexual Harassment and Gender- Based Harassment and prohibits students from sexually harassing others in the community. It also requires the university to provide supportive measures to anyone experiencing misconduct and to respond to reports as required by the regulations to ensure a hostile environment does not exist.
Consensual Amorous Relationships
Under the Faculty Handbook, The Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy prohibits faculty from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with undergraduate students. It also prohibits faculty from engaging in such relationships with graduate students enrolled in a degree-seeking program or in the case of Arts & Sciences, any department or program in which the faculty member has taught, plans to teach, or holds an appointment. There are mechanisms to obtain an exception to the Policy.
The Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy is designed to avoid relationships between people without equal power and to avoid conflicts of interest. Violations of this policy will be considered misconduct on the part of the faculty member, but it is not used to discipline students. Reports of violations of this policy may be made to the department chair, the academic Dean or at reportconcern@wm.edu.
