Long Beach City College takes all complaints of sexual harassment and sexual violence very seriously. We understand that it can be difficult for victims or those who have witnessed a violation to come forward and file a complaint, and we’ve attempted to simplify the process as much as possible.

Anyone who files a sexual harassment or sexual violence complaint is protected from all forms of retaliation, and the College will ensure that intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination do not occur. Students, faculty, and staff who participate in a Title IX investigation or advocate for a victim are also protected from retaliation.

While it is always best to file a complaint right after an incident has occurred, you can file a complaint at any time if you feel that the incident has caused a hostile environment on campus (for more information on a “hostile environment,” please read the section on What is Title IX?.

Report a complaint on campus

If you have been the victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault, or you know of someone at the college who has been a victim, please report this to the Title IX team so we can take actions to help and stop future incidents of harassment and violence.

• Email the Title IX Team. You can email the Title IX team at TitleIX@lbcc.edu and share the nature of the complaint. The Title IX Coordinator will immediately assign a member of the Title IX team to contact you and schedule a meeting to discuss your complaint (a telephone call can also be scheduled if it is more convenient). During this meeting, the Title IX team member will ask you to share more details about your complaint so that she or he can determine what steps the College can take to remedy a potentially hostile environment and keep you safe and successful in your academic work. The Title IX team member will then report back to the Title IX Coordinator, who will begin the investigation process and implement any related remedies that were identified.
• Contact a Title IX Team Member. You can also contact any Title IX Team member and schedule a time to share your complaint. The Title IX team members come from different backgrounds and are located at both campuses, and they are all ready and willing to meet. If you don’t know who to meet with, schedule a meeting with Kristin Olson, Associate VP of Human Resources.

Report a complaint to the Police Dept.

In cases where a crime has potentially been committed, a victim can report a complaint directly to the Long Beach Police Department by calling (562) 435-6711. Except in extreme circumstances, if you report a complaint to the College, we will not share this information with the Long Beach Police Department without your permission.

Steps of the Complaint Process

Once a Title IX complaint has been reported, there is a consistent process the College follows to immediately remedy a potentially hostile environment, conduct a thorough investigation, make a determination and implement sanctions, and take any other actions to prevent further sexual harassment or sexual violence incidents.

1. Remedy a Hostile Environment. During the first meeting with the victim, the Title IX team member will gather additional information about the complaint to determine if steps need to be taken immediately to keep the victim safe and able to fully participate at the College. These steps could include directing the respondent (or attacker) to have no contact with the victim, temporarily moving the respondent or the victim to another course section, giving the victim more time to complete recent assignments, providing an escort to and from campus, or providing counseling services and other referrals to the victim. The remedies will be implemented immediately and continued until the investigation is finalized.
2. Conduct an Investigation. Based upon the complaint, the Title IX Coordinator will assign two staff investigators to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigators will conduct interviews with the victim, the respondent, and any witnesses and will review all evidence available. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the investigators might also conduct additional interviews off-campus. With all of the collected information, the investigators will determine if there is a preponderance of evidence—what we call 50% likely “plus a feather—and will submit their findings to the Title IX Coordinator. Typically, an average investigation takes no more than 60 days to complete; more complex complaints may take longer.
3. Make a Determination and Implement Sanctions. With the results of the investigation, the Title IX Coordinator determines whether the respondent is responsible or not. If the respondent is responsible, the Title IX Coordinator will forward the results to the Office of Student Conduct and the Director of Student Conduct and Student Life will determine which sanctions will be enforced based upon the Student Code of Conduct. The Director of Student Conduct and Student Life will forward the sanctions back to the Title IX Coordinator, who will then notify both the victim and the respondent of the investigation’s outcome and the sanctions being enforced.
4. Take Further Actions to Prevent Future Incidents. At the end of the investigation, the Title IX Coordinator will review the initial remedies that were put in place and determine if these remedies need to be continued or if other actions need to be taken to eliminate a hostile environment. This includes protection against any form of retaliation towards the victim, witnesses, or advocates who participated in the process. In addition, the College constantly learns from each complaint and changes processes or provides additional programs and services to help prevent sexual harassment or sexual violence within the College community.

The Appeal Process

Once a final determination on a Title IX complaint has been delivered, both the victim and the respondent has a right to appeal the decision. If either the victim or the respondent chooses to appeal, the other person will be given the right to appeal at the same time; further appeals based upon the outcome of the appeal will not be allowed.

An appeal must be submitted in writing and will be reviewed by the Superintendent/President. An appeal will only be considered based on (a) new, compelling evidence; (b) evidence of a mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence in the investigation process; © or compelling argument that the sanctions imposed are not consistent with the severity of the violation(s). An appeal must be submitted within thirty (30) days of notice of the outcome of the investigation. Typically, the average appeal is reviewed within ten (10) business days; more complicated appeals may take longer.

Know Your Rights

Both the victim and the respondent have rights during the investigation process.

Victim’s Rights. First, the victim has the right to feel safe at the College and to participate fully in its educational programs. In addition, the victim has the right to:

• Be given remedies to a hostile environment that is not burdensome, including resources for counseling and referrals to off-campus organizations.
• Have an advocate participate in meetings during the investigation to provide moral support (legal representation is not allowed).
• Be given access to view evidence related to the investigation.
• Be given notice of any information provided to the respondent, including the outcomes of the investigation and any imposed sanctions.
• Continue to receive remedies if a hostile environment persists, including protection from retaliation.

Respondent’s Rights. The respondent also has the right to feel safe at the College and to participate fully in its educational programs to the extent to which this participation does not create a hostile environment for other students. In addition, the respondent has the right to:

• Be given remedies to a hostile environment (for self or the victim) that are as least burdensome as possible.
• Have an advocate participate in meetings during the investigation to provide moral support (legal representation is not allowed).
• Be given access to view evidence related to the investigation.
• Continue to receive remedies if a hostile environment persists as appropriate.

Other Options to Pursue a Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the college’s process as listed above, you can pursue the complaint further by contacting the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for more information.