Duty to Report Sexual Violence, Sexual Harassment and all Forms of Discrimination

Dear Bruin Community:

This is a biannual reminder for all UCLA employees, including student employees, of the duty to report allegations of discrimination and/or harassment based on all protected categories as well as sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Mandatory Reporting Obligations Concerning Sexual Violence and/or Sexual Harassment

Under the University of California Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Policy (PDF), all University employees, which includes student employees, staff, faculty and non-faculty academic personnel, have the following obligations:

Any University employee who is not a Confidential Resource and who receives, in the course of employment, information that a student (undergraduate, graduate or professional) has suffered sexual violence, sexual harassment or other prohibited conduct, or that prohibited conduct may have occurred in the context of patient care, shall promptly notify the Title IX Officer or designee at TitleIX@equity.ucla.edu. This includes, but is not limited to, Resident Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants and all other student employees, when disclosures are made to any of them in their capacities as employees. In addition, the following categories of employees who, in the course of employment, receive a report of Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy involving any other person affiliated with the University shall notify the Title IX Officer or designee:

Faculty Members
UCLA Police Department
Human Resource Administrators, Academic Personnel and Title IX Professionals
Managers and Supervisors including Deans, Department Chairs and Directors of Organized Research Units (ORU)

Mandatory Reporting Obligations Concerning Discrimination and/or Harassment Based on Protected Categories

Under the University of California Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace Policy (PDF), all reports of discrimination or harassment brought to a supervisor based on any protected category must be reported to a designated representative.

At UCLA, the designated representative is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Civil Rights Office, or the units therein, which include the Staff Diversity & Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Compliance Office, the Title IX Office, the Discrimination Prevention Office and the ADA/504 Compliance Office.

Under UC Policy, protected categories include: race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), age, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans.

When a Student has Experienced Discrimination Based Upon Any Protected Category

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require that the University respond to race, national origin, gender or disability related discrimination experienced by students. The United States Department of Education has clarified that when an “educational institution knows or reasonably should know” of discrimination or harassment, “it must take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred.”

As such, if a student reports that they have experienced discrimination and/or harassment based upon any protected category to any UCLA employee (staff, faculty or non-faculty academic personnel), that employee should report the matter to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Civil Rights Office.

How to Make a Report

Reports should be made to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Civil Rights Office. You can report online via the Report an Incident button. You can also make a report by phone at (310) 206-4990. Please be advised that the Report an Incident button and phone will be staffed during regular business hours. If you or someone you know is in danger and needs immediate help, please call 911.

Following a report, one of the units within the Civil Rights Office will send an email outreach to the affected individual(s) who have allegedly experienced the discrimination and/or harassment. We will also provide resources and support and explain the process for filing a formal complaint. Individual(s) complainants may choose whether or not they wish to proceed with the investigatory process. For additional information and resources about UCLA’s civil rights protections, visit the Civil Rights Office website. For Title IX-specific information, visit the Title IX Office website.

Coming forward to report discrimination and/or harassment can be stressful and challenging. We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to your mandatory duty to report and for helping to strengthen civil rights protections for all members of the UCLA community.

Please send questions and feedback to us at WeListen@equity.ucla.edu.

Sincerely,

Chandra Bhatnagar
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights & Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Officer

Mohammed Cato
Director, Title IX